Jealousy
by Idan
Summary: A sequel to "Habit," also sort of a tag to The Golden Hammer. Spoilers for some upcoming episodes as well. "It annoyed Jane that with all his knowledge of her and skill (though admittedly rusty) at seduction, he couldn't win this contest hands down. It should never have been a contest in the first place, he felt."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: If I were in charge, we'd have 52 episodes a year. At least.

**Author's Note**: I must suck at one-shots, because there were so many requests to keep going after Habit! This is based on the spoilers about Lisbon getting a boyfriend and the adoration for Jealous Jane that pervades Twitter.

**Jealousy**

It had been sixteen days, twenty-two hours, and thirty-seven minutes since the first time he'd kissed Lisbon. Twelve days, one hour, and fourteen minutes since their first date had ended in another searing, tantalizing kiss that he'd briefly fantasized would end with sex in the front seat of his car.

And seven days, ten hours, and twenty-two minutes since he'd realized she was still seeing Marcus Pike. After all, as she'd said when he brought it up, they weren't exclusive. And Marcus liked sports and shooting things and those little cocktail weenies drenched in barbecue sauce and probably all the other things Jane detested.

As much as Jane would love taking Lisbon to the opera or a symphony performance, he was concerned she might interpret that as him wanting to change her or a sign that they had no hobbies in common. Instead, he did his best to come up with fun casual things to do together—even if it was just taking a walk through a scenic area of whatever town they were in during a case. But really, he knew, what she liked best was relaxing at home.

He had never minded hanging out in her space, so he went along with it, introducing variety by buying board games for two that they could have fun with, despite how corny it seemed, and cooking for her. She got a kick out of testing his skill with her favorite dishes, and he was happy to oblige her. It was fun, delicious, and demonstrated his fitness as a mate. If she moved in with Marcus they'd probably live off takeout. Jane would keep her well-fed and healthy.

He hated this sense of competition. Obviously she felt something for the other agent, or she would have dismissed him immediately after Jane declared himself. He'd taken things too slowly, and now the situation was out of hand.

He would rather have his fingernails torn out than admit it, but he'd always expected that when he opened his arms, Lisbon would throw herself into them and never look back. Instead, she welcomed his touch and enjoyed kissing him, but apparently enjoyed kissing Marcus too. It annoyed Jane that with all his knowledge of her and skill (though admittedly rusty) at seduction, he couldn't win this contest hands down. It should never have been a contest in the first place, he felt.

Lisbon, always an honest soul, had let Marcus know he wasn't the only man in her life, with the predictable result that he was trying harder than ever to impress her. He was no doubt desperate to sleep with her, too, which Jane knew hadn't happened. The air around Lisbon practically shimmered with sexual energy these days as she tried to figure out what she wanted. It was obvious, at least to him, that she didn't intend to add sex into the equation until she'd made her choice.

In the old days, if she'd been trying to choose between two eligible suitors, he would have advised her to sleep with both to see if that would rule one out. Not everyone was sexually compatible, after all. And she was so intense and particular that her standards in the bedroom had to be high.

But he couldn't face the idea of her sleeping with Marcus. If she decided to use sex as a determining factor, he had to make sure he got the first audition. And then he'd damn well make sure it was the last, too. He could do that. He'd had over a decade to ponder exactly how to blow her mind in bed, after all. He couldn't wait to get his chance.

But it probably wasn't tonight. She'd been out late on her Friday night date with Marcus, and now she was slumping on the couch yawning as another car exploded on the TV screen. She liked action flicks, so that's what they were watching. Jane had a momentary vision of Angela's expression if she could see him now.

He felt bad sometimes that he was willing to change for Lisbon when he'd refused to change for his wife. But he'd learned his lesson. And Lisbon wasn't going to put up with him making the rules. He had to work at it if he wanted her. And he most assuredly did.

She'd consented to his arm around her shoulders and had leaned her head against his upper arm, and unless he was greatly mistaken, she was in imminent danger of falling asleep. He enjoyed being close to her, but watching her sleep wasn't what he'd planned for tonight.

Lisbon claimed to want honesty from him, though she tended to react with incredulity when he shared truths that to him were blindingly obvious. He wouldn't let that stop him, though.

"It's not the Blake Association who's after us," he said.

Lisbon tensed, then pulled herself upright to stare at him. "I thought you were just saying that to convince Abbott you don't need to show him the list you haven't got."

"Meh. Grace will crack it, now that she has an incentive to. But think, Lisbon: why now? Why not take us out immediately after?"

"To make everyone believe the FBI got them all. Besides, if they started killing us off, you'd never have come back, and maybe they didn't know where you were, or couldn't get to you."

Jane held her gaze. "Lisbon, the first moment—the very first moment—I had an inkling you were in danger, I'd've been on a plane for the States. Arrest warrant or no. Besides, if the FBI could find me, so could any remaining Blake Association members."

"Well, who do you think it is, then? We checked out Volker; it's not him."

"And you're one hundred percent sure he couldn't have covered his tracks completely?" Jane challenged.

Lisbon folded her arms and grumbled, "I'm never a hundred percent sure of anything."

"Not even that I love you?" He was only partly teasing.

She eyed him askance. "No. Especially not that."

He frowned. "Besides time and my persistence, what proof do you need?"

"I don't know." She sighed a little.

He picked up her hand and began playing with her fingers to steel himself for the real topic he wanted to discuss. "I want us to be exclusive."

She hesitated before saying, "I know."

"But you're not ready to give up Marcus."

"He's a great guy, Jane. He treats me really well."

"And I don't?"

"Don't make this into a competition."

"But it is, Lisbon. And the rest of my life is riding on it."

She pulled her hand away from his. "I wish you wouldn't look at it that way."

He raised his eyebrows. "What other way could I possibly look at it? You're the desirable peahen, and Marcus and I are the two peacocks fanning our tails and trying to get your attention. No, forget that. Peacocks don't mate for life. Swans. You're the—"

"Stop with the animal metaphors, Jane," she said irritably. "We're people."

"People with the same biological imperatives as swans or peacocks or cheetahs," he pointed out. "The difference being that we need to be mentally and emotionally compatible in addition to physically compatible. Obviously you think Marcus has potential in those areas."

"Yes. We seem to be very compatible," she said, the barest hint of defiance shading her tone.

"But see, that's just potential. I'm a known quantity. I'm the safe bet here, Lisbon."

She snorted. "You're the safe bet. Right. Because dependability is your middle name."

"When it comes to the big things, yes, it is. I spent ten years ensuring your safety in whatever ways I could. I helped you keep your job when Bertram wanted to get rid of you. I helped you with Volker after you asked me to, and I would have sooner except that I respected your desire to take him down on your own." He paused, frowning. "You know what? I'm dependable in the little things too. I always have a snack to share when you've forgotten to eat. When I see you have a headache, I bring you coffee because the caffeine helps. I'd love nothing better than to feed you and pamper you for the rest of my life, Lisbon. I just don't understand what I'm not bringing to the table that Marcus does."

"Stability, for one."

"Stability? He's an FBI agent. He's moved three times in five years, working on various task forces. Austin's just another temporary base for him," Jane said.

"How do you know that? So help me, Jane, if you got Wiley to hack into personnel files—"

"I just kept my ear to the ground, Lisbon. I learned everything I needed to know the old-fashioned way."

She settled back down, but muttered, "At least he's not going to disappear on me for six months. Or two years."

"Neither am I, since both times were related to my pursuit of Red John, and that's over."

"Not if this is the Blake Association."

"It isn't."

"Says you."

"Yes, I do. And I have a pretty good track record about these things." He looked at her for a moment, noting the exact configuration of the lines around her mouth and eyes. He was reading fear, which wasn't an unreasonable reaction to being stalked by unknown parties. But this looked more personal than professional. "Do you really think I'll run off again? Why would I? I have everything I want right here."

"For now. How am I supposed to know what might make you decide to do anything? If this is the Blake Association—"

"It's not."

"—maybe you'll take it into your head that you have to disappear because you think they won't kill me if you're not here to be bothered by it."

"No. If I go, I'm taking you with me. Otherwise I'm staying," he said firmly. "Look. I'm not saying you don't have reason to be cautious. I just don't want you to decide in Marcus' favor because of things I did in situations that won't come up again."

She didn't respond, but she laid her head on his shoulder again. He curled his arm around her, sighing a little.

"If I do decide to stay with Marcus," she said softly, "what will you do? Can we still work together? Be friends?"

Jane grimaced. He'd never given that any thought, sure he would win her eventually. But she wanted to know, so he needed to answer. The problem was, he couldn't imagine he'd handle it well. He hated to lose.

"I might need some time," he admitted. "I can't guarantee I wouldn't be bitter and sullen at first. But we're a winning team, Lisbon. I don't want to work without you, and I'm never walking away from you again. So yes, we could still work together, and we'll always be friends. But I give you fair warning: Marcus had better be damn secure in your relationship, because I'm not going to suddenly stand two paces away from you or stop bringing you coffee or flirting with you on stakeouts." Or touching her or doing his best to seduce her, for that matter. He'd never admit defeat to Marcus. He'd just bide his time and wait for his next opportunity with her.

"Hm." She glanced up at him. "In other words, you're not going to respect my decision."

"I will respect your decision. I will simply live in hope that you will change your mind," he replied. "Judging from past observation, I believe that whatever your decision now, Marcus will end up being one more man just passing through our lives."

"You don't know that. I really like him. He might be it for me."

Jane reminded himself that she deserved to torture him a little, after all the suffering he'd caused her. "Yes, possibly," he said calmly. "But the odds are in my favor."

Wait. Maybe that was the wrong tactic. Maybe she needed to see him uncertain and worried, like she had been during the whole Lorelei debacle, if this was payback. Not consciously, of course, because Lisbon wasn't petty. But subconsciously, maybe she needed to see him suffer to believe he was serious.

"Of course," he continued, "any gambler has to be prepared to lose. It's just not something I've been able to think about much. It's too painful."

"Painful?" She slanted a skeptical look at him.

"Excruciating," he confirmed. "While you were out with him last night, I went for a long walk to try to keep my mind occupied. But all I could think about was: what if you decided to sleep with him? I thought about several ways to interrupt your date, and then how I could get him alone and off guard to hypnotize him into impotence."

"Jane! Don't you dare!"

"I didn't. And I won't. I'm going to win you fair and square."

"And I'm supposed to be impressed by your restraint?"

"My restraint is solely due to my respect for your choices," he pointed out. "You know me, Lisbon. When have I ever let scruples stop me from doing something to reach my goal before?" He wondered if she truly understood the restraint he was showing.

"Huh." She sounded skeptical, but her lack of an argument was a sign he was getting through.

"But enough about Marcus. I'd so much rather talk about you. How is it you get more beautiful every year? You were attractive when we met, but you're stunning now. You got so much more gorgeous while I was gone that you took my breath away when I saw you again."

"Right. Age is my friend," she scoffed.

"It is. If someone came up with an anti-aging serum, I'd do my best to talk you out of it. You have acquired the kind of sultriness that only a mature woman confident in her appeal can have. And your quiet life in Cannon River gave you a depth you never had time for in Sacramento. Being at peace with yourself is very appealing. You always intrigued me, but now you fascinate me. I could stare at you all night."

"Oh, that wouldn't be creepy at all," she joked, but the pause beforehand told him she was touched.

He would not be deterred. "I look forward to watching you grow more beautiful and serene over the next decade."

"Right. Because grey hairs and crows feet are sexy as hell."

"On you, they will be."

"And it'll be so attractive when my boobs and my ass start to sag."

Jane chuckled. "That sweet ass of yours is staying right where it is as long as you insist on torturing yourself with those morning runs. And your breasts will be delightful whatever their altitude. By then I'll be aged enough to want to confine our lovemaking to horizontal surfaces anyway."

"Not doing such a great job of selling yourself there, old man." She grinned at him.

"Alas, there's no hiding the fact that I am slightly past my prime," he sighed, smiling at her. "If you're in the market for a young stud, I'll have to resign myself to wandering lonely toward the grave with a broken heart."

"Aw. Poor baby." She leaned up to plant a kiss on his chin. "I'm not seeing any grey in this beard."

"I pluck them out."

She grinned again. "Really?"

"No. I'm merely blessed with good genes. As are you, my dear." He bent to press his lips to hers.

As usual, their kisses heated quickly. Lisbon was every inch the firecracker he'd always thought she would be. Of course it helped that he'd started out with a fair bit of knowledge about her body, as well as exactly what to whisper in her ear.

The problem was that she always put a stop to things just as they were getting interesting. He'd think she was a tease if he didn't know she truly was torn between him and Marcus, no matter how incredible he found that. And he knew she was just as sexually frustrated as he was—possibly more so, since she was probably doing a similar dance with Marcus. The thought made him violently jealous.

"Why are you holding me so tight?" she murmured as she pulled her mouth away from his. She moved it to his ear for some delightful nibbling, so he didn't protest.

"I can't have you running away, now, can I?" he replied, not loosening his hold. He knew his prim and proper little firecracker wanted things a little rough, though she'd die before admitting it. And probably no guy she'd been with since becoming a cop would dare to go there. Except him, of course. Following up on his theory, he moved one hand to her breast and gave it a squeeze, kneading it until he felt the nipple straining against his palm. Then he gave it a firm pinch.

Lisbon gave a gasp of surprise, arching into his hand. He hid his smile against her neck, giving her a little love bite far enough back that her hair would hide it. He wouldn't mind marking her for Marcus to see, but she would.

"You're frisky tonight," she panted in his ear as she repositioned herself, ending up nearly in his lap. He put his hands on her hips and encouraged her to straddle him.

She did, but she pulled back to look at him, her passion-glazed eyes seeming huge under her furrowed brows. "We're not having sex tonight," she told him.

"I know that," he replied, holding her gaze. "Because once we do, there will be no seeing other men nonsense. If I found out you went from my bed to his, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions."

"Since we're in my house," she retorted, "it wouldn't be your bed."

He slipped a blouse button through its hole, then another, so he could bow his head and sprinkle kisses on the tops of her breasts. She rose on her knees to improve the angle, moaning and wriggling with pleasure, and a light bulb went off in his head. If he could relieve some of her frustration, she could think more clearly. And it could only be to his credit that he'd been the one to give her what she desperately needed. She was running so hot that it wouldn't take much. And he'd dearly love to see her beautiful face lit with ecstasy.

As he slid his tongue under the edge of her bra, she began undulating against him, and when he suckled her through the fabric, she let out a keening moan that hit him right in the groin. As her breath quickened, he moved his hands to her waist, pressing her down against him as he returned to kissing her mouth.

Her hands dove into his hair, tugging and releasing. He smiled at the confirmation that she liked to play rough, the pain merely a twinge against the other sensations flooding his body.

Oh, yes, she was getting there. He pulled her blouse aside and nipped at her tender flesh, not hard enough to break the skin but enough to draw a hoarse cry from her. He used his hands at her waist to lift her again, taking her nipple gently between his teeth, teasing her. She ran her hands along his biceps before sliding them to his back, nails digging through his shirt.

His own hips started to buck involuntarily as her breath came in harsh gasps above his head. Then he slid an arm fully around her, freeing a hand to slip between her legs and press down on the seam of her jeans. She cried out, and he bit down on her nipple, smiling.

Lisbon exploded in his arms, head thrown back as a short scream escaped her. Jane straightened so he could watch her, one hand still working between her denim-clad legs until she reached down to stop him, then sank down to sprawl bonelessly on him. She hid her face against his shoulder while he petted her hair and rubbed her back, trying to convey how much he cherished her.

"You're so beautiful when you come," he whispered in her ear, sliding her limp body off his lap and settling her against his side. He needed to get himself under control quickly or there was going to be an impressive mess. He tried to focus on the progressively more ridiculous explosions occurring on the a TV screen.

After a moment, Lisbon slapped half-heartedly at his shoulder. "I told you no sex tonight."

"What sex? We're both still fully clothed," he pointed out.

"Uh huh. And what would you call that if I did it with Marcus?"

As if Marcus knew enough about her to pull it off, he thought scornfully. "I'd call it the last great moment of his life before he began to believe he was a duck. No, a platypus. Yes. Marcus the platypus."

Lisbon snorted, lifting her head to peer curiously at him. Her flushed cheeks and dark eyes nearly did him in, and he swallowed hard. "You think all this caveman talk is going to impress me?"

Yes, he thought. But he kept that to himself. "I'm not trying to impress you. I'm just telling you what would happen. Of course, I know you'd kick my ass and make me undo it. But at least I'd get to tease you about your deviant desire for platypus sex."

She made a face at him. "Not if you know what's good for you. And speaking of desire..." She glanced down at the impressive tent he'd pitched in his suit pants.

"No, no. This is your night, Lisb—aaah!" He yelped as she took a firm hold of his dick, squeezing mercilessly. He was reduced to incoherent monosyllables. "Gah. Uh. I can't—"

He came in his pants, something he hadn't done since he was a teenager. He was pretty sure he'd yelled her name, but his ears were ringing too much to tell. He collapsed against the back of the couch, gasping for breath.

"Fair is fair," Lisbon said, sounding pleased with herself.

"Yeah. Well." He gulped down a breath and said, "This is going to be fun to explain to the dry cleaner."

Lisbon began to giggle. It was such an unexpectedly girlish noise coming from her that he opened his eyes to look.

How was it possible for a woman to be this sexy, he wondered. She should be classified as a controlled substance, with her rosy cheeks and her dimples and those gorgeous green eyes almost swallowed by her dilated pupils.

"You could just buy a new suit," she suggested when she could speak.

"But I liked this one," he said mournfully.

"Yeah, me too. Tell you what, I'll take it to the dry cleaners," she offered. "But I refuse to wash your underwear. Want me to get your bag from your car?"

"In a minute." The stickiness was unpleasant, yes, but he was in no way ready to let go of her.

She lay against him, letting him cuddle her and rubbing her cheek against his shirt. He felt overwhelmed by love for her, and he buried his face in her hair and whispered, "Don't leave me, Lisbon. Please."

She slid her arm around his waist. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But you might. To him. I couldn't stand it. Please don't." He managed to stop babbling before he could say something like, "You're my last chance at happiness."

She sighed. "Jane, it's not like I'm your only option, you know."

She was cute when she was in denial. As if jealous Lisbon wouldn't turn anyone he dated into a platypus given the opportunity and means. "But you are. It's you or no one, Lisbon. You've told me repeatedly that we're not exclusive, but you don't see me asking other women out, do you?"

"Maybe you should." But her voice said differently, despite her best effort.

"I don't want to. It's you I want to spend the next forty or fifty years with. Anybody else is just a waste of time."

"But you could change your mind."

"Obsessive, remember? Overly attached to my habits and routines? Drank out of the same teacup for ten years? Is any of this sounding familiar?"

She gave a huff of laughter. "Yeah, okay."

"Look," he said gently. "I'm not asking you to marry me tomorrow. We'll go slow if you need to go slow. But the jealousy is killing me. Let me set Marcus up with Leila in Human Resources so we can all find our happy ending."

"Leila? Who's Leila?" Lisbon sat up and pinned him with her glare.

"A lovely and romantically minded lady who will be far better off with good, solid Marcus than trying to save me from my gloomy Lisbon-less existence."

"Is she the dark-haired one who keeps making you re-sign forms because they got lost?" she demanded.

"Oh, I think she knows exactly what happened to them," he smiled.

"That is so unprofessional. She shouldn't be messing with your file just to come drool over you." Lisbon sat up, looking annoyed.

"I agree. But my stint in Venezuela gave me a deep empathy for the lonely hearted."

Lisbon made a skeptical noise that wasn't quite a grunt. "I'll have a talk with her."

"No need. Just let me introduce her to Marcus. She's drawn to damaged men because she doesn't believe anyone else would ever be interested in her. A nice man like him will do her a world of good, possibly even save her from a lifetime of heartbreak."

"If being with a damaged man leads to a lifetime of heartbreak, what does that say about my future with you?" she asked.

"But I'm healing. You're helping me do that. And I will never, never break your heart again. I promise you that." He sealed it with a kiss.

She sighed as they parted, then gave him the "I'm giving in, I just don't know it yet" look he loved. "Safe bet, huh?"

"Safe as houses," he replied soberly.

"You won't break my heart?"

"I will do my utmost to avoid it."

"And you won't try to take over my life?"

"Mm. I promise to stop when you point out I'm doing it. How's that?"

"Good enough, I guess." She looked uncertain, and he knew he should let her wrestle with this in private. Now that he was sure of the outcome, he could get some sleep and plan out his big seduction after Marcus was told he had finished second.

"I'd better be going," he said. "Call me tomorrow?"

"We can have lunch after Mass if you want," she offered.

Ah. She needed to pray on this. He smiled at her fondly. "I do want. Thank you, my dear, for a...thrilling evening."

She gave him a slightly crooked smile. "It didn't exactly go as I planned."

"Me neither. But I'm happy with the way it turned out." He got to his feet, shimmying his hips a little to relieve the discomfort of his wet boxers.

She walked him to the door, then rose on tiptoe to press her lips to his. "Drive safe. Text me when you get home."

"All right. Sleep well, my love."

"You too." She looked panicked for a second as she hunted for a safe endearment, then relaxed as she abandoned the idea. He smiled at her as he went out the door.

He could wait for endearments. He could wait for consummation. The important thing was that he no longer had to be jealous.

**To be continued** (You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much for the great response to the first chapter! You guys are a pleasure to write for! We're handing into angsty territory here, but as Jane says, trust me—when have I ever steered you wrong? :)

**Chapter 2**

On Monday, Jane was obnoxiously cheerful. He whistled as he made his tea in the breakroom and grinned at everyone he passed on his way back to his couch. Most of them appeared to find that disturbing, which amused him.

Cho eyed him suspiciously but relaxed when Lisbon turned up with an impressively large travel mug of coffee and a cheerful smile of her own. "Nice weekend?" he asked her.

"Yes. How about you?" she replied.

"Good."

Jane asked, "You don't care about my weekend, Cho?"

"Figured they were the same," he replied, opening a file and beginning to read.

Jane grinned at Lisbon, whose color was a little heightened as she turned her computer on. He could tell from the anxious set to her mouth that she hadn't told Marcus yet. Of course, he hadn't given her the time. He'd met her outside her church and swept her off to a lengthy and delicious lunch at a high end restaurant, after which they'd gone to a nearby park and enjoyed the sunshine, talking easily like they normally did. He'd then taken her home for light conversation and TV watching, cooked her favorite light dinner, and spent a delirious hour making out on her couch, though she hadn't let him go nearly as far this time. Still, he was happy to add even a little to his mental map of her body and the collection of impassioned sighs and moans in her wing of his memory palace.

He was going to need them, since he'd have to bear an evening of her being with Marcus one more time so she could break up with him. The thought made him want to grit his teeth, but it had to be done.

Mid-morning, Lisbon's cell phone rang, and he knew by the way she bit her lip and glanced briefly at him before answering that it was Marcus calling. He casually got up and wandered toward her desk to eavesdrop, sipping at his tea. Cho gave him a look, then went back to work.

"Mm hm. Oh? Yeah, okay. Sounds great. See you then. Bye."

Well, that was unsatisfying, Jane thought. But at least he now knew she'd made her last date with Marcus. He sidled over to her and bent down as if he were looking at her computer screen. "Platypus," he whispered.

Lisbon gave him a smack on the arm with the back of her hand. Jane grinned as he wandered back to his couch. Cho shook his head a little as he kept pretending to ignore them.

Jane managed to contain all his questions until he cajoled Lisbon into going out to lunch with him. He waited for her to finish her sandwich before starting the conversation. "So? What's on your calendar with Marcus?"

"He's playing in a community baseball league, and they have their first game tomorrow night."

"So he wants you to come watch and sit by yourself?" Hm. A public venue, so he could certainly crash it if he wanted.

"No, some of his teammates' wives and girlfriends will be there. He wants me to make friends."

Oh, Marcus, fatal mistake, Jane thought gleefully. Lumping Lisbon in with wives and girlfriends was sure to make her uncomfortable, for several reasons, even if she weren't intending to break up with him. "Ah. A gathering of baseball widows. If I were on the hunt for female companionship, I'd be tempted to show up."

There was a spark of hope in her eyes as she looked at him to give him the obligatory, "Don't you dare."

He contemplated the situation for a moment. "I'd suggest you break up with him beforehand and spare yourself an awkward night, but I have a feeling you're afraid you'll throw him off his game if you do. And you don't want him to look bad in front of all his buddies."

She sighed. "True. Which is also why you're not invited. Seeing you with me in the stands would definitely throw off his game."

"So you're going to wait until after? Wise choice. If he wins, his triumph will lessen the sting of losing you. If he loses, he'll already be down in the dumps, so what's one more blow?"

Lisbon winced. She really didn't want to hurt Marcus, he knew. She'd never had a problem dumping guys before, but then she didn't usually let them hang around so long first. "I hope he wins."

"You're not going to chicken out, are you?" Jane asked, frowning.

"Me? No. Of course not." She sighed. "It wouldn't be fair to keep stringing him along." She rubbed her hands along her thighs in a nervous gesture, and Jane captured one of them in his own.

"Just keep in mind that while you are making a good man temporarily unhappy, you are making a damaged and desperate man permanently happy," he advised, twining his fingers with hers.

She looked at him as if for confirmation, and he smiled tenderly at her for a moment. Then he added, "And don't forget you're saving him from a delusional future as a monotreme. Did you know platypuses are egg-laying mammals?"

He caught the brief quirk of her lips before she stopped herself. "You have no reason to do anything to Marcus, Jane. If you're unhappy with me, take it up with me, not him."

"Oh, I will. If I decide you've been a very bad girl, I might take you over my knee and spank you." He grinned as her pupils dilated, very interested in her reaction.

"Is that where I went wrong? All these years I should have been spanking you?" she replied innocently.

Jane chuckled. "We both probably would have been less frustrated."

That won him a lovely blush, but she retorted, "I'll have to let Fischer know. Maybe she'll want to try it."

"It won't work for her," Jane said. "Your rule is the only one I'll submit to. And feel free to spank me anytime you like. I'm not into the kinky stuff much, but I'll follow where you lead." She'd make a wonderful dominatrix, he thought. The black leather would flatter her, especially a corset that would emphasize her tiny waist and thrust her breasts up into luscious globes.

He hoped she wasn't planning to leave in the immediate future, because getting up from this table would be embarrassing for a while.

"You're sitting there imagining me with a whip or something, aren't you?" she said suspiciously.

"Not a whip, so much." He smiled sheepishly.

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't trust myself with a whip around you anyway. I might start remembering all the times you were a jackass and get carried away."

"Duly noted. I'm not fond of being whipped, just for the record. And I don't think I could bring myself to take a whip to your lovely skin, even if you wanted me to."

"Which I don't," she said firmly. "God. I can't believe we're talking about this."

"We can talk about anything. That's part of what makes our relationship work. Now, I'm not opposed to letting you rip a turtleneck off me, though you'll have to give me warning so I can buy one."

"Will you stop with that? Why are you so hung up on Walter Mashburn? You weren't jealous of him at the time."

"Oh, I was. I just told myself I didn't have the right to be."

"You were right about that. Anyway, you should be careful about telling me all your secrets, Jane. I may have to use some of them against you to keep up my role as the Jane whisperer."

Jane nearly snorted tea through his nose. "The what?"

"Jane whisperer. That's what they call me. Since they all had to admit I'm not controlling you through sex since I'm dating Marcus—"

"Were dating Marcus," he interrupted.

"They decided I have have some weird psychic hold on you. The Jane whisperer. You know, like the horse whisperer or dog whisperer."

"I do like it when you whisper to me," he admitted. "And I thought the CBI gossips were bad."

"Oh, the FBI is much worse," she agreed.

"They think I'm under control?" He was a little insulted.

"Well, you haven't gotten anybody fired or sued yet, which most people were expecting. But don't worry. Fischer is still trying to figure you out."

"She never will," Jane said. "I'll only listen to my whisperer. I'll never be truly tamed."

Lisbon chuckled. "Now that, I believe. Come on, we'd better be getting back."

His earlier problem under control, he stood and gathered up their trash, depositing it in the nearest receptacle. "So, in this metaphor, am I more like a horse or a dog?"

"I don't know anything about horses, but you're definitely not a dog. I think you might be more of a cat. You know, with the napping and all. And the superior attitude."

"Hm. Possibly."

Lisbon was warming to her theme. "And liking to toy with your prey. And being sneaky and stealthy. You know what? You are a cat!"

"Domesticated, or wild?"

"Didn't you once tell me the cat is the least domesticated of all domestic animals? I can't imagine an ocelot sleeping on a couch, so a housecat, I guess."

"Well, I do purr when you pet me," he mused.

"If by purr you mean get an enormous boner, then yeah," she teased.

He bent to whisper in her ear as they walked. "You won't be complaining about that when you decide to let me put it in you," he promised, letting his hand drift down her spine to her lower back and feeling her shiver.

"It won't be tonight," she said after a moment, her voice a little hoarse.

He'd figured. She wouldn't want to go straight from one man to another. "Tomorrow?"

"Probably not. This weekend, maybe."

Okay, he could see the sense in that. Once he got her in bed, he was going to want them to stay there as long as possible. "I'm at your disposal. Just whisper the word and I'm all yours."

Her smile was all the reward he needed. For now.

mmm

He spent most of the next day with Fischer or Cho, working on a case in Dallas. Lisbon stayed in Austin to liaise with the team working the Ardiles murder, since they'd apparently found a lead. Jane wanted that case, not a depressing murder for depressing non-national-security reasons (no matter what Fischer thought), but Lisbon had told him to be good and obey orders, so that's what he was doing. Mostly.

At the end of the day, he insisted he'd gleaned everything he could from the crime scene and would drive back to Austin for the night. Fischer thought he was nuts, and Cho thought he was up to something. They were both partly right.

He needed to see Lisbon. From his brief glimpse of her this morning, he grimly suspected she had in fact chickened out of dumping Marcus. He must have lost the damn baseball game, and her soft heart had won out over her head.

It was very late by the time he knocked on her door, and she was already dressed for bed, though she hadn't been asleep. Her guilty, "Oh, hi," told him everything he needed to know.

Mules had nothing on Lisbons, he knew. There was nothing to be gained by pushing her. Still, he was annoyed and frustrated. He just wanted to put an end to this nonsense with Marcus so they could get on with the glorious new life he was envisioning. "Hi. I couldn't relax until I'd seen you, so I drove all the way back here," he said, hoping that would charm her.

"You mean you didn't crack the case?"

"Not yet. Did you crack yours?"

"No." She dropped onto the couch, folding her arms tightly. Yes, she was feeling guilty as hell.

"Let's cut to the chase. I know you didn't tell him." He remained standing, barely resisting the urge to pace.

Lisbon pursed her lips. "They lost the game. He was so down about it. I couldn't."

Dammit, she really did have feelings for Marcus. "Did you sleep with him?" It came out more harshly than he meant.

Lisbon's startled glance was his answer. "No! Of course not!"

"You did something you feel guilty about."

"Stop it! You have no right to interrogate me!" she snapped, coming off the couch like she was preparing to tackle him. "I am not a child and I am not your wife. What I do with my body is my business."

Ah. She'd stolen his idea. His own argument about it not being sex sounded feeble now. "You're right. It is. I just don't ever want to hear you accuse me of not keeping my word, because you've lost the moral high ground."

He stalked toward the door, yanking it open as she demanded, "Where are you going?"

"Dallas. Where I'm wanted," he flung over his shoulder before slamming the door behind him.

Safely in his car, he closed his eyes for a moment. That had not gone well at all. Still, there was nothing he could do about it tonight. They both needed to calm down before trying to address the issue.

He drove to his Airstream, feeling the need to be in his own space for a few hours. He'd drive back to Dallas in the morning, hopefully with a plan for overcoming this setback.

mmm

He reached Dallas the next morning with no clear plan in mind. He was in an unpleasant mood, and the most appealing course of action he could think of was to get himself shot, possibly fatally. At least that way he'd have the pleasure of a repentant Lisbon at his bedside before hopefully escaping this pointless life where he seemed doomed to unhappiness.

He needed tea.

Finally one of the coffee shops he stopped to investigate offered a nice blend made with water that had never shared a receptacle with coffee. He felt much more himself after that and managed to muster a smile for Cho and Fischer at the local FBI offices. That is, until Lisbon walked in. She ignored the chair next to him and sat at the other end, next to Fischer.

Jane put his personal problems on hold and focused on the briefing. He then focused on counting the number of stop lights and blue cars as they drove to the victim's office. While Lisbon and Fischer talked to the other employees, Cho and Jane searched the victim's cubicle. That was sufficiently distracting while it lasted, but then they all went back out to the car and Lisbon excused herself to take a call. He wandered to the other side of the SUV, not wanting to hear her trade endearments with her acknowledged lover.

Instead, he heard Fischer say quietly, "What's up with them?"

Cho paused for a moment. "Obviously he went to see her last night and they had a fight. He'll sulk until she apologizes or forgives him, whichever."

"About the boyfriend?"

"He was never jealous of her boyfriends before," Cho said.

"He's jealous of this one," Fischer said. Then she returned her voice to its normal volume. "Everything okay, Lisbon?"

"Yeah. Fine. Sorry about that," Lisbon replied. "Where's Jane?"

"He was here a minute ago," Fischer said.

Jane briefly fantasized about running away again, this time never to return. But he'd promised Lisbon he wouldn't. And he wasn't giving up on her.

He compromised by staying where he was as they split up to look for him. Lisbon was the first one to think to try his phone, following its ringtone around the vehicle until she spotted him.

"Oh, very mature, Jane. Is this what I can expect every time I do something you don't like?" She put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"No. Only when you do someone I don't like," he said coldly, opening the SUV door and climbing into the back seat, then closing it before she could overcome her shock enough to muster a retort.

mmm

They managed not to speak a single word to each other the rest of the day. Cho and Fischer silently colluded with them, not suggesting pairing them on any of the assignments. Jane thought sourly that he'd never thought he'd see the day when he was relieved to be separated from Lisbon. But apparently it was possible.

He was worn out at the end of the day and acquiesced to a hotel room. He had kicked off his shoes and shed his jacket and was just brewing a soothing cup of tea when the expected knock at his door came.

"What do you want?" he asked, blocking the opening of the door.

"To talk. We can't go on like this," Lisbon said firmly.

Jane hesitated, then turned and went back to making his tea. Part of him wanted to slam the door in her face, but the larger part of him just wanted things back to normal. Or at least not so painful.

Lisbon closed the door quietly behind her and stood awkwardly, waiting for him to take the lead as always. But he was determined not to make this easy for her, so he pretended to be absorbed in dunking his tea bag the requisite number of times. He pointedly did not offer her a cup.

"Fine," she grumbled under her breath. "Look. I'm sorry you're upset—"

"Hurt," he corrected, calmly turning to look at her over the rim of his mug. The scent helped him steady his nerves.

She gave him a look that was a strange mixture of exasperation and misery. "Okay. I'm sorry you're hurt," she said, her voice softer. "That was never my intent."

"I realize that." He had to admit he'd never suspected her of setting out to hurt him.

"I—" Lisbon broke off as there was another knock on the door.

Jane gave a frustrated sigh, set down his mug, and answered it. He was not at all surprised to see Fischer there, though she and Lisbon were both surprised and embarrassed to see each other.

"Um, I thought you might want to talk. Rough day. Uh. Never mind. Good night." Fischer made her escape with alacrity, if not grace.

Jane closed the door again. "You were saying?" He picked up his mug and took a sip.

"I didn't intend for anything to happen. It just...did." She waved a hand helplessly.

"What are you, sixteen?" He kept his voice calm and flat.

"No. But I've been celibate so long it feels like I might have regained my virginity," she sighed. "Look, I know you feel I'm in the wrong here. But you're not winning any points either. And you're fast making me regret my decision to try to work this out with you. Is that what you want?"

"What I want," he said, "is to be with someone who is ready to be with me, and won't play stupid games or string me along. If you get to that point, let me know. If I'm not seeing anybody else at the time, we'll talk about it."

"Wow," she breathed. "I knew you could be cruel, but... I hope that didn't hurt nearly as much when I said it to you."

"It hurt more," he said, "because you were actually seeing someone else at the time. Whereas I am a bit behind."

She swallowed, her eyes moist. "You didn't answer my question. Do you have any interest in working through this? Or are you done with me?"

He put down his mug and scrubbed at his face. "Of course I want to work through this. I'll never be done with you, Lisbon. I'm just so angry and hurt that I don't think I can right now. I need some time."

"Okay." She nodded once, firmly. "But can you please not act like you despise me while we're working?"

"I don't despise you, Lisbon. I love you. That's what makes this so hard." He looked at her face, shadowed with pain and unhappiness, and realized he needed to let her have another secret. "Angela cheated on me once. We were fighting, it was just one time, he was an old friend, she didn't mean for it to happen, et cetera. We worked through it. But it's kind of an issue for me."

"I'm sorry," Lisbon whispered. Then she said, "But we weren't exclusive, Jane. It wasn't cheating."

He caught the past tense and felt a whiff of hope. "I know that. But the heart isn't rational, Lisbon."

"Oh, believe me, I know that," she sighed.

He felt himself begin to relent. It was hard to sustain his anger when she was standing there trying to fix things. "Would you like some tea?"

She recognized it for the olive branch it was. "I'd love some. But not that green stuff. It tastes like grass."

He smiled. "Chamomile it is. And someday you have to tell me how you know what grass tastes like."

She took a seat in one of the chairs in the tiny sitting area by the door. "Brothers. Football. I know what mud tastes like, too."

He chuckled, the first happy sound he'd made all day. After he handed her her mug, he took the other chair.

"You're wearing the socks I got you," she said in surprise.

"They're the most comfortable." And he'd wanted to be reminded of a moment when she'd demonstrated her caring for him. When they'd been happy to be together.

She sipped her tea. "I'm going to resolve this. I won't string you both along."

"But in your own time. I know."

"Soon. Really."

"It's your business." The words nearly choked him, but he got them out.

"It's yours too," she admitted. "You love me. And I love you. I just—I don't know how to deal with any of this."

He beamed at her. "You love me?"

"Oh, shut up. Like you didn't know." She flushed, hurriedly sipping at her tea.

"Knowing it and hearing you say it are two different things."

"Well. Anyway. I really like Marcus, and if you weren't in the picture I think we might have a chance. But you are in the picture."

"Yes, I am. And I intend to stay in the picture."

She nodded. "And I don't know what kind of lurid ideas you have in that head of yours, but I didn't even let him take my shirt off."

He held up a hand. "I don't want the details, Lisbon, please."

"Well, he was much more of a gentleman than you were," she said, deliberately trying to provoke him.

Jane had an epiphany. "You faked your orgasm!"

Lisbon closed her eyes and let her head fall back on the chair. "It usually takes more than once with a new guy, for me. I mean, it felt great, but—"

"Let's not stray from the point of this story," Jane said, grinning madly. "It didn't take you more than once with me. Or are you going to try to tell me that was faked?"

Her color was high again. "No. But you're...you."

"My point exactly. See? I am the safe bet."

She sighed, looking ruefully at him. "You're never going to let this go, are you?"

"No. But I hereby renounce all plans to acquaint Marcus with the fascinating world of the platypus." He felt like his smile might become permanent.

"Good."

"Don't feel so bad, Lisbon. The man has gotten to enjoy your company for almost two months, and now you've given him a hand job, for which he should be eternally grateful. He has nothing to complain about. Especially after I arrange for him to meet the lovely Leila."

"I don't think he's going to want anything to do with you," she said dubiously.

"Meh. It'll all seem like a happy accident to both of them."

"Yeah, right." Lisbon finished her tea, then yawned. "I should go. I didn't sleep well last night. And I'm betting you didn't either."

"You'd win that bet." He stood up as she did, and he walked her the two steps to the door.

Jane had one more thing to say, and he tried to keep his tone gentle so it wouldn't come across as harsh. "I don't think we should see each other outside of work until you're free of your other entanglement. To avoid any more episodes like this."

Her expression became sad. "I understand." She reached up, laying a hand on his cheek. "And I am very sorry I hurt you."

"Well," he said, "it was your turn. Good night, my dear."

"Good night." She scrunched up her nose in thought. "Sweetie?"

The tentative way she said it made him laugh.

"Okay, no. Dear? Honey? Smoochie?" She looked exasperated as he laughed harder. "I'm no good at this, Jane. Help me out!"

He got control of his voice. "Why don't you stick with Patrick?"

"Patrick," she said thoughtfully. "Okay. Good night, Patrick. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, Teresa." He yielded to temptation and caught her lips with his own, hoping it wouldn't be long before he was able to do this again. He kept it light and sweet, even though every cell in his body was screaming for him to push her down on the bed and ruin her for any other man.

She held back as well, but her fingers curling on his biceps were almost unbearably arousing, and he had to pull back long before he wanted to. Then he quickly averted his eyes, finding her flushed skin and glowing eyes too potent a temptation, until she had slipped out the door.

He finished his tea and got ready for bed, knowing he would be visited by scorching dreams of her tonight. And hoping she would dream only of him.

mmm

**A/N**: I know it might seem a bit OOC for Lisbon to be involved with two men, but it can happen to the best of women now and then. Jane explains the underlying psychology in the next chapter, never fear.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Never fear, the worst is over, relationship wise. I meant to focus on the personal stuff in this fic, but my muse has decided to commit a plot. Sigh. Hopefully Lisbon's actions start to make more sense in this one. Thanks for sticking with this story!

**Chapter 3**

The days passed, and Jane grew more incredulous and frustrated with each one. Really, what the hell was going on here? He began to wonder if he was missing something. Was Lisbon actually in love with Marcus as well as with him? He'd never considered that, but perhaps he should.

He'd rather believe Marcus was threatening or blackmailing her somehow, though he didn't think that was true. He'd be able to read it off Lisbon. True, she was stressed, but no more than a woman trying to choose between two men she cared about should be. He had to admit his fantasy of unmasking Marcus as part of the conspiracy against them was likely to remain only that.

Worst of all, his tactic had backfired. He'd hoped to encourage her to settle this by making her miss him, but now it was dragging on toward the weekend and she hadn't. Which meant he'd be deprived of her company while Marcus, who'd made no such demand, reaped the benefit.

This was no good. He needed to figure out the underlying problem and deal with it before he went crazy. He should not be pining and having regular wet dreams at his age. It was exhausting and unsatisfying. And undignified.

He was going to have to break his own rule. Lisbon was looking increasingly stressed as the days went by, throwing off unconscious distress signals he couldn't ignore. She obviously needed someone to talk to, and that was usually him. Which ought to help settle things for her, he thought wearily as he approached her desk around noon on Thursday. "Lunch?" he offered.

"Yes. I'm starved." She looked so grateful he was a little ashamed of himself. He made a point of helping her into her jacket, though he refrained from fluffing her hair since they had an interested audience. Cho had no doubt read the distress she was in, though he would wait for Lisbon to approach him before offering help. Or, more likely, he expected Jane to deal with it.

They went to a deli far enough from the office that they were unlikely to see anyone they knew. As they sat down in the corner booth, Jane said, "Talk to me, Lisbon. What's going on?"

Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know. I'm not usually indecisive. But when I'm with you, it makes perfect sense to want to be with you and not Marcus. And when I'm with him, it's the other way around."

Jane nodded. "And you're not used to not knowing what you want."

"Exactly." She sighed, then said, "I'm sorry. I know it's awkward talking about this."

"You can talk to me about anything, my dear. Always. Whatever else we are or might become, we are still friends. But it's true I can't be objective about this. Is there anyone else who might help?" He knew there wasn't. But that was part of the reason she should choose him.

Oh. Crap. No, that was part of the reason she was afraid to choose him. He'd already demonstrated that he'd freeze her out if she chose Marcus. She probably believed that if they made a mess of their romance, he'd behave just as badly. And she had no one else in her life who truly understood her. She couldn't afford to take the risk of losing him, but she saw that risk in both her choices. So she was stalling, trying to find a way out of the trap. His heart went out to her.

"Kim keeps offering to talk," Lisbon answered, oblivious to his epiphany. "But that would be so awkward. And Cho said he wasn't objective, because if I didn't choose you, you'd be a living hell to work with. He also said I should choose you because Marcus would get over me, but you never get over anything."

"He's not wrong," Jane said.

"He rarely is," she sighed. "But I want to make the right choice for me, not because of what anyone else wants."

He'd applaud her healthy attitude if it wasn't messing with his own mental stability. "And so you should. I love you, and I want you to have the best possible life, Lisbon. I truly do."

She looked at him for a moment. "I know."

They paused as their sandwiches arrived. Lisbon looked disconsolately at hers, while Jane, who was hungry, tore into his Reuben. After he'd swallowed, he resumed his explanation. "If I truly believed Marcus could give you the best possible life, I'd step back. I spent so many years believing I had nothing to offer you but heartbreak, so I did my best to be happy for you when you dated other guys. And I was right, then. But things are different now. And I can't believe he knows you half as well as I do, or that he'd be willing to go to the lengths I will to ensure your happiness. Because I know how much I owe you, Lisbon. I'll spend the rest of my life paying you back and it still won't be enough."

"Sometimes I think nobody can understand us except each other, because of what we've been through. I tell Marcus that we have a history, and he says he understands, but he doesn't. He can't." Lisbon rearranged the lettuce on her sandwich but made no move to eat it.

"That's true," Jane said. "The five of us are the only ones who can ever understand what it was like to hunt Red John. And you and I are the only ones who understand what it was like to be hunted by him. Well, and Hightower, I suppose, but she's not here."

She sighed again, lifting the bread to shift the tomato slightly. Jane had gotten a bag of Sun Chips, the cheesy kind she liked, so he reached over and moved a handful to her plate. She was more likely to eat those than her chicken salad on pumpernickel, he thought.

"Oh, I'm not that hungry," she protested.

He ignored that. "Listen. I know this is all my fault."

"What? How could this possibly be your fault?" She looked shocked.

"I'm the one who didn't have my act together after dragging you to Austin to work with a building full of macho special agents, most of whom are divorced or never had time to get married in the first place. And even after you made the healthy choice not to wait for me, it took me too long to get myself in a place where I could tell you what I wanted. By then you were already seeing Marcus, and I failed to notice how serious you were about him. I took it for granted that you'd choose me. But you haven't, and I've devoted a lot of thought to why that is. And I think I know."

"Then tell me." There was both desperation and relief in her voice. She thought he'd solved the case, so to speak.

"It's the same reason it took me so long to tell you I am in love with you. You just pointed it out yourself: we are the only ones who can truly understand each other and what we've been through. We need each other."

He had her full attention. "But why would that keep me from choosing you? It seems like it would make it a no-brainer."

"Because every single romantic relationship you've ever had has ended abruptly. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that every relationship you've ever had has ended in grief."

"That's not true. My relationships with Cho and Rigsby and Van Pelt haven't ended in grief." She nibbled on a chip, then reached for her pickle. He pretended not to notice.

"Of course they have. You built new ones after you were separated, of course. But your team was scattered by forces beyond your control, repeating the old trauma of your family's disintegration. You felt I abandoned you, dredging up old pain and resentment associated with your father. You had to make a new start, accepting the setback to your career and the loss of your significant relationships, with no one to help you. And I am more sorry than I can say that I wasn't there for you." That was, in fact, one of his major regrets in life.

"You wrote me," she said softly. "You let me know you were okay and that you missed me. It helped."

"Good. But back to my point. You've protected yourself in all your previous relationships with men by not allowing yourself to get emotionally invested. I would be the exception to that, of course. And it appears you made one for Marcus as well."

"So I got into this mess by wanting something more than a purely physical relationship?" She popped another chip in her mouth.

"In a way. Only you can say how emotionally invested you might be in Marcus, though I'm sure it's less than your level of emotional investment in me. My point is, experience has taught you to expect your significant relationships to end badly. And I unfortunately just demonstrated how harsh I can be when I'm hurt. You're hanging onto Marcus because you think that will keep you from getting involved with me and thus losing me."

Lisbon frowned, taking a bite of her pickle. He knew she wasn't being intentionally erotic, but the sight of her plump lips wrapped around the fat, round pickle was having a profound effect on him.

"But you are not going to lose me," he continued hurriedly. "There's nothing you can do to make me leave or give up or stop loving you. I might behave badly for awhile, but you won't lose me."

"How do I know that? I gave a guy a fully clothed hand job and you treated me like I had leprosy," she pointed out, finishing the pickle, to his great relief.

Oh, he did not want to do this. But if it was the only way he could convince her, he would have to deal with it. "Sleep with him."

She dropped her sandwich. "What?"

"Sleep with Marcus. As many times as necessary to achieve orgasm. Enjoy it. Then let me know you've done it."

"Are you crazy?" she demanded. "You want me to goad you into making us all miserable on purpose?"

"Goad me all you like. I'll still be here. I'll still listen when you want to talk. I'll still work with you. I'll still bring you coffee and make sure you eat and check in with you when I see you're not sleeping well. I'll still love you. Give me a chance to prove it."

She was still looking at him like he'd lost his mind. "You want me to sleep with Marcus to give you a chance to prove you'll still love me?"

"Your fears are based on experience. You need experiential evidence to dispel them." He sounded confident, but he had a sinking feeling that this was going to turn out to be one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

Lisbon gaped at him for a second more, then said, "That is the most selfish thing I've ever heard! And considering that I've been listening to you for twelve years, that's saying something!"

"Excuse me?" That was not the reaction he'd expected.

"You still think you're the goddamn puppeteer! Moving us all around for your amusement!" Her eyes sparkled with anger, and he remembered why he used to purposely infuriate her back at the CBI.

"I assure you, I wouldn't be at all amused by you sleeping with Marcus. Or anyone else, for that matter," he retorted.

"And it's all about you."

"On the contrary, this situation is all about you, my dear. I am simply trying to get you what you need."

"By telling me who to sleep with," she shot back.

"It was a suggestion, Lisbon. I have no authority to direct your actions in either a personal or professional capacity," he pointed out.

"Damn straight." She snatched the pickle off his plate and bit into it viciously. He couldn't help a wince.

"If you're rejecting my suggestion, in which case I confess I'm relieved, then feel free to tell me what I can do to assuage your fear of losing me." He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed, waiting.

"That assumes I think your theory is true," she said. "Which I don't."

"I'm open to alternatives," he said, eating a chip.

"Marcus is a great guy. I'm attracted to him. I'm not using him as a human shield against you," Lisbon declared.

"Then maybe you're using me as a shield against him, for the reasons I just outlined."

"I'm not using either of you. I don't use people, unlike some of us." Her feathers were thoroughly ruffled now, he noted.

"Not consciously," he agreed.

That made her frown. He knew she'd be thinking about it all day, though she probably wouldn't admit it to him.

"Eat your sandwich, my dear. You'll need your energy to sustain this high a level of annoyance with me."

She threw a chip at him, and he grinned.

mmm

On their way back to the office, Jane decided she was going to need some help, despite his previous resolve not to meddle with her decision making process. It was now obvious to him that she was tangled up in unconscious habits and half-realized fears, and if he didn't do something, she might revert to her old way of coping and opt for Marcus precisely because she wasn't in love with him. Marcus' main attraction for her was that he wouldn't break her heart no matter what happened, because she had never given it to him.

On the other hand, Jane, who did have possession of her heart, had broken it at least twice already. Choosing him involved the possibility of pain she had no desire to ever experience again. He really needed to demonstrate the things that would make the risk of that pain worth it. Something more obvious than making sure she ate and helping her think through her dilemma.

He needed to seduce her. Once he showed her how explosive and world-shattering they could be together, she would feel that she was choosing something good for herself, not something self-destructive.

"When can I see you this weekend?" he asked.

"Marcus is taking me to a game Friday night. I thought you didn't want us to see each other right now." She looked curious.

"I changed my mind. I miss you too much. I need to see you, so tell me when I can come over. Or would you like to come to my place? You haven't seen it yet."

She bit her lip. "Is there room in that thing for both of us?"

"For a tiny little thing like you? Sure," he chuckled. "I'll cook. We can eat under the stars, weather permitting."

"Okay. Saturday, then."

"I look forward to it." He smiled. She had no idea how good a time she was in for.

mmm

Friday night, Jane went grocery shopping after work. He had bought a small grill when he got the Airstream, so he picked up a pair of steaks, ingredients for various side dishes, and the makings of a dessert so decadent she might have an orgasm right there at the table. Only the first of many, he thought to himself, grinning.

As he stood in the checkout line, however, the hair on the back of his neck began to stand up. Surreptitiously glancing around, he didn't see anything to alarm him, but he trusted his instincts. So he pulled out his phone, but as his thumb hovered over Lisbon's name, he reconsidered. Interrupting her date for what might be a false alarm would not put her in the correct frame of mind for tomorrow night.

He called Cho instead. If this was what he thought, he'd rather not bring Lisbon into it anyway.

"Yeah, Jane?" Cho answered promptly.

"Hey, Cho. I was hoping you could help me out. I was trying to remember the name of the security guard who used to work the gate at CBI. Was it John or Jim?"

"Jim," Cho replied, giving no indication that Jane had just given a coded distress call. He, Lisbon, and Cho had agreed that any question about the CBI would be taken as a summons for help.

"Right. Whatever happened to him?" Jane continued casually.

"Think he got a job at the Capitol," Cho replied, meaning he was on his way.

"Ever hear from him?"

"No." Which meant Cho was somewhere he could use his burner phone to text Abbott.

"Okay. Thanks."

"Hey. What are you up to? Want to grab dinner?" Cho asked, wanting a location.

"Nah. I've got two bags of groceries I need to get home. Hey, Whole Foods is having a sale on avocados. You might want to check it out."

"I'll do that. Thanks. What're you cooking tonight?"

"Meh, just a sandwich tonight. Grilling steaks tomorrow." Jane left the store and headed for his car, looking around briefly as he normally would. He set the groceries in the back seat. "Any plans for the weekend?"

"Think I might go for a run. Maybe catch a movie." Jane could hear a car door slam and engine start; Cho was on his way.

"Yeah? Any movie in particular?" They'd all agreed to stay on the phone as long as possible in these circumstances.

"No. Something mindless. What's out now?"

"No idea," Jane admitted. "Reading anything good? I might curl up with a good book to enjoy my time off. Did you finish that Dostoyevsky you were working on?"

"Yeah. You were right. The ending sucked. I'm working on War and Peace now."

"Much easier going, isn't it?"

"I'll say. Don't tell me how it ends."

"I won't. While you're on a Russian kick, don't forget Doctor Zhivago. It's—ahh!" Jane broke off as he felt something press against his neck, then a weird tingling paralysis and a sharp pain in his head before falling into blackness.

mmm

Jane came to with a groan, becoming aware he was lying on something hard and gritty.

"Take it easy," Cho's voice said. "You've been tasered, then knocked out, it looks like."

"Did you get him?" Jane demanded groggily.

"Not yet. Guy had you halfway into the alley when I got here. He ran off. I stopped to make sure you were alive. We've got a cordon and copters up. Ambulance is on its way."

"I don't need an ambulance," Jane protested, trying to sit up.

Cho put a hand on his shoulder to keep him down. "Keep still."

"I don't need to go to the hospital," Jane insisted.

From a distance, he heard Lisbon call out his name, sounding frightened. Jane looked at Cho.

"You were down. She needed to know," Cho shrugged. "Besides, she'll make you go to the hospital. Guy injected you with poison for all we know. Or Ebola."

"Thanks," Jane said dryly. He tried to sit up again, and this time Cho let him, probably to reassure Lisbon, who was sprinting across the parking lot. She dropped to her knees beside him, hitting the pavement with a crack that made him wince.

"Jane, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?" She touched the skin right above the taser marks gently.

"I'm fine, Lisbon. Really." He conquered the temptation to pretend to be more badly hurt so she'd fuss over him, since that would certainly land him in the hospital. "I don't need an ambulance." He could hear the siren getting close and looked for it, only then noticing Marcus approaching. Of course. He'd been with Lisbon.

Now Jane really was tempted to collapse into Lisbon's arms. He let out a muffled groan, which had the delightful effect of making her comb his hair with her fingers, no doubt looking for a head wound. She found a lump on the back of his head that made him hiss in pain, and she whispered, "Sorry."

He wondered if he could get away with burying his face in her breasts, especially since Cho had gotten up to wave the EMTs over. Unfortunately the EMTs arrived before he could attempt anything, and Lisbon got up to let them tend to him, which he felt was a very poor trade.

Marcus moved to her side. "Is he okay?"

"I think so. I'll have to go to the hospital with him, though; he's the world's worst patient," Lisbon replied.

Jane missed the next bit of their conversation, since the EMTs started asking him silly questions. But when he was able to focus on them again, Lisbon was saying, "Go on without me. I'm sorry. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Hope he's all right," Marcus replied, which made Jane hate him for being such a nice guy. Then he planted a big, open mouthed kiss on Lisbon, which made Jane hate him for breathing.

Lisbon pulled back after a moment with an apologetic smile. "Have fun at the game," she said. Then she knelt beside Jane again, looking at the EMT who hadn't wandered off. "How is he?"

"He's coherent. No apparent injury aside from the taser marks and the lump on his head," he replied.

"Which really hurts," Jane whined, eyeing Lisbon's breasts and calculating whether he could lay his head there without having to move his lower body.

"I know," she said gently, petting his hair and carefully avoiding the lump.

The other EMT returned with a stretcher, which Jane regarded with loathing. "I can walk. I don't need that."

"Jane," Lisbon said, "let them do their jobs."

"I can walk," he insisted. "Just help me up."

Lisbon gave him a look, then leaned in and whispered, "If you behave, once you're settled I'll let you lay your head on my chest like you've been thinking about since I got here."

Jane sighed and gave in.

mmm

The emergency room was no place for canoodling, Jane discovered. While they waited for his x-rays to come back, Lisbon spoke on the phone to Abbott, then Cho, then Fischer, then Abbott again, then Rigsby. At least she held his hand through all of it.

"Nobody else has seen any threat," she told him unnecessarily when she finally got off the phone. "Grace hasn't seen any more snooping on our phones since the FBI put that new software on. This might have just been random."

"I still have my wallet and phone," he pointed out. "It wasn't a mugging. It was attempted kidnapping."

"I know. And they'd obviously been stalking you," she sighed, worried. "Why didn't you call me?"

"You were on your date with Marcus. I didn't want you to think I was interrupting you on purpose. So I called Cho instead."

Lisbon looked pained. "Jane, you can always call me if you think you're in danger. Always. I don't care what I'm doing. Okay? Your safety is more important to me than anything else I could possibly be doing." She stroked his face tenderly, and he could see her thinking about what would have happened if Cho had been too late. They would have found his car with the groceries in the back seat, and she would have known they were for the dinner he planned to cook her. The image was scaring the hell out of her, judging by the pallor of her skin.

"Hey, ask Cho to get those steaks into a refrigerator, would you? I don't want them to go bad. I spent a lot of time picking out the perfect ones." He hoped that would be a distraction.

She rolled her eyes, but he could tell it was because she thought he expected her to. She texted Cho, then read the reply a few moments later. "Taken care of. The store's going to hold them for you. Apparently someone took out their parking lot security cameras and the manager feels terrible about what happened."

Jane frowned. "That means he knew I would stop there."

"Maybe not. The cameras went down while you were in the store. He could have followed you from work." She squeezed his hand. "I'm just glad he didn't wait for you to get home. We wouldn't have known you were missing until tomorrow when I couldn't get hold of you." Her fingers convulsed around his, and she looked sick. He knew she was thinking of the crime scene photos of Ardiles.

"I chose the trailer park I did because it's impossible to have any privacy there," he told her. "The manager watches every car that comes in. My neighbor is retired and knows when I come and go. It's cost-efficient security." He frowned. "Unlike your house, with the trees providing cover and the neighbors who don't know each other."

"I'm fine, Jane. I'm a cop. And I had a security system put in last week."

"Good to know if I ever want to break in," he grinned.

"I'll give you the code," she promised. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at him with frightened eyes. "God, Jane, if I lost you I don't know what I'd do."

"You're not going to lose me," he promised.

"Damn right I'm not," she said firmly, recovering her composure. "One of us will be with you at all times from now on."

"You can stay with me all you like," he said, trying to conceal his glee.

They were interrupted just then by the doctor, who showed them the x-rays. "No skull fracture, which is good news," she said. "You'll need to be watched for signs of concussion, but otherwise you're perfectly healthy. Is there someone who can stay with you?"

"I will," Lisbon said. "Does that mean I can take him home?"

"Yes. The discharge nurse will have the concussion instructions for you. Just have him take it easy, physically and mentally. No hard thinking, puzzles, or reading. Just rest."

Jane resolved to ignore that last part. Someone was stalking him and might go after Lisbon. He was damn well going to use his brain.

mmm

Lisbon called a cab to take them to the office to pick up her car, since she'd left with Marcus. Then she drove Jane home and put him firmly to bed.

"I'll be in to wake you up in a little bit," she told him. "Try to get some rest."

"I want my pillow," he pouted.

"You have a pillow." She frowned.

"No. You. You promised. I was a good patient, and I want my bribe." He held out the covers for her. "Besides, this is the only bed."

"The table makes into one, doesn't it?" She folded her arms.

"Yes, but I'm not supposed to be doing anything strenuous, so I can't show you. Come on, Lisbon."

She sighed. "Fine. But no strenuous activity means no getting yourself excited. Can you do that?"

"I'll remain lying down at all times," he promised.

She looked skeptical, but she slipped under the covers with him, fully clothed, and scooted over on her side. He quickly pulled her scoop necked t-shirt down and burrowed his nose between her breasts, inhaling deeply. He loved the way she smelled.

"Jane," she warned.

"I'm not getting excited. I'm just getting comfortable," he said. "Roll over on your back, please."

She huffed out a sigh but did as he asked. He laid his head gently on her chest, shifting around trying to find the perfect place. "Do you have to sleep in your bra? It's uncomfortable," he complained.

Lisbon gently pushed him off so she could sit up. The she took her bra off under her shirt, pulling it out through her sleeve while he watched in fascination. Although the red shirt was flattering on her, he wished she'd worn white so he could see through it.

"You might as well take the shirt off too. I'm just going to get it all wet. You know, if I drool in my sleep." He gave her his big-eyed puppy dog look.

She looked down at him, struggling with herself. "There's not going to be any sex tonight, Jane. Of any kind. I want to make that clear."

"And you have. But I almost died tonight without ever seeing you naked, which is at the top of my bucket list. You can at least give me half, can't you?"

She bit her lip, then reached for the hem of her shirt and paused. Jane thought he probably looked like a kid on Christmas morning about to unwrap the biggest, shiniest present under the tree. He certainly felt that way.

"I love you," he whispered.

She blinked, her eyes suspiciously shiny. "I love you too," she said, and in one swift motion she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. The movement made her naked breasts jiggle enticingly.

"You're so beautiful," he said reverently. Now this was something he was very glad he hadn't died without seeing.

Lisbon blushed a little and quickly slid under the covers again. Jane wasted no time nuzzling his warm, soft, delightfully squishy pillow, making her give a breathy giggle.

"Your beard tickles," she said.

"I'll shave if you want me to," he offered.

"No. I kind of like it. Get some sleep while you can," she said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and resting her other hand on the back of his neck, toying with the short hair there. It felt wonderful.

Jane pressed a kiss into the side of one luscious breast, yawned, and let himself drift off.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I knew this story wouldn't be entirely likeable, but I swear I never set out to make anyone hate Lisbon! Hopefully she redeems herself a bit in this chapter. And there may be a pause in updates after this since I'm on a business trip. Florida in January isn't a bad thing, even if you spend all day in windowless conference rooms, but I do miss having writing time! Thanks for bearing with me!

**Chapter 4**

Being woken at such short intervals was painful, and Jane found himself getting whiny about it despite his intention to behave well to Lisbon. But after making sure he wasn't showing any sign of concussion, Lisbon always drew him back down to rest his head on her chest and stroked his back to comfort him. Being allowed to nuzzle, lick, suck, and nip at her beautiful breasts with their rosy, sensitive nipples made up for the lack of sleep. He suspected he wasn't helping her get any, either.

After the sun came up and he passed the danger zone, Lisbon fell into an exhausted slumber. Jane got up and fixed some tea, then some eggs. Then he rooted around for the expensive coffee he'd bought in expectation of her visiting him someday. When she showed signs of waking, he'd brew her a pot.

After breakfast, he wandered back into the bedroom and spent some quality time memorizing the sight of her sprawled on her back in his bed, the sheet draped across her ribcage concealing the fact that she was still wearing her jeans, her perfect breasts rising and falling with each breath. He grinned as he looked at the marks he'd left with his stubble and teeth, the red a sharp contrast against her pale skin. She wouldn't be showing those gorgeous breasts to Marcus anytime soon, now that they were clearly marked as his territory.

He'd tried to play nice, he thought. It wasn't his strength, and it had been a mistake. They belonged together, and damned if he wasn't going to fight for her with everything at his disposal. He'd protect her from whoever was after them and he'd show her that loving him had its advantages, and he'd use all his tricks, dirty or not, to do it.

Frowning, he pondered the events of his near-kidnapping. Whoever was behind it was savvy enough to take out security cameras but had been foolhardy enough to make his move while Jane was on the phone. Since all Jane's friends were law enforcement, that was oddly risky. It argued for a deadline, which argued for a hired gun.

It also proved his point that this wasn't someone seeking revenge for Red John. If that was the case, Jane would be the final target, not an early one. Anybody who'd been in Red John's network would know that to make Jane truly suffer, they needed to target Lisbon. Coming after him without doing that first would be anti-climactic.

So he wasn't the primary target. Was Lisbon? Anyone who observed their body language together would know they were close. Maybe taking him was meant to make her suffer? That pointed toward Volker.

Jane grabbed his phone and dialed Cho.

"You okay?" was the agent's greeting.

"Yeah. Just thinking. This wasn't about me. I think Lisbon's the target."

"So you think they're coming after her last?"

"Exactly. You keeping your eyes open?"

"Always. Rigsby and Van Pelt are going under wraps for a while."

"Good."

"What does Lisbon think?"

"She's asleep. I'm a tough patient."

There was a faint grunt on the other end of the line that would have been a laugh from anyone else. "Yeah. You want me to come relieve her?"

"No. We're good." Jane looked up, startled, as someone knocked on his door. "Hang on. Somebody's at the door."

Cho's voice went sharp with tension. "Don't answer it. Wake Lisbon up."

Jane moved to the peephole. "It's Fischer."

"I don't care. Wake Lisbon up!" Cho demanded. Then he hung up. A second later, Jane heard Lisbon's phone start to ring from the bedroom.

Oh. He couldn't open the door with her half naked in there, anyway. She'd kill him. Besides, that vision was one he wanted to keep for himself.

"Lisbon," he heard her yawn. Then she yelled, "Jane! Don't open the door!"

"I'm waiting for you, my dear," he replied, switching on the coffeepot.

Lisbon nearly collided with him, and he noted with delight that she'd put her shirt on but not her bra. "It's Fischer," he said.

Lisbon had her gun ready. "Open it and stand back," she ordered, in full cop mode.

Jane pushed the door open wide and stepped back. "Good morning, Agent Fischer. Lovely to see you. Hands up, please."

Fischer came into view, takeout cups in each hand. "Sorry, I should have called first."

Lisbon lowered her gun but didn't holster it. "Yes, you should," she snapped. "What is it?"

"Just checking on you. And bringing caffeine." She handed Jane a delicious smelling cup and offered the other to Lisbon.

"We didn't get much sleep," Jane said. "Come in."

"I figured," Fischer said. "I thought I'd offer to stand guard while you napped. If you want."

Jane's phone rang, and when he saw it was Cho, he picked it up. "We're fine, Cho."

"You need me to come there?"

"No, we're good. You want to talk to Lisbon?"

"Yeah."

Jane handed her the phone, and he and Fischer eavesdropped shamelessly as she said, "All secure. Yeah, I'll go over the protocols with her. Okay? Okay. See you tonight."

Fischer looked at Jane. "He's really protective of you."

"Oh, not nearly as much as he is of Lisbon. Whoever's after her has no idea what he's up against." Cho would help him put the bastard down hard. And permanently.

"After me?" Lisbon echoed incredulously. "He tried to kidnap you."

"Which is a crappy way to hurt me, if he knows anything about me," Jane said, waving a hand carelessly.

Lisbon swallowed, staring at him in dawning horror. "You think they took you to get to me?"

Fischer said, "How do you know? There are plenty of ways to hurt you once he had you."

"I'm acquainted with some of those. Most notably a cattle prod. Oh, and people threatening to remove my fingers with garden shears." He shuddered. "None of which is as bad as knowing some sick bastard has Lisbon. I know that from experience."

Fischer looked skeptical, but before she could say anything, her phone rang. "It's Abbott," she said, frowning. She answered with, "Yes, boss? Yes, Jane is fine. No, I'm here with him now. So's Lisbon. Oh?" She turned and went back out, closing the door behind her.

"Huh. Wonder what's up," Lisbon grumbled, sipping at her coffee.

"I hope it's not a case," Jane said. No way was he letting Lisbon out of his sight. "Not that I'm complaining, but you might want to get dressed. More dressed."

She glanced down and blushed. "I was in a hurry." She went back to the bedroom, and Jane followed.

Lisbon kept her back to him and peeled off her shirt, then looked down at herself. "Jane! I look like I've been attacked by a school of piranhas!"

He clicked his teeth at her, then slid his arms around her waist and nibbled on her ear. "You enjoyed it at the time."

"Is this what you're like?" she asked curiously. "I always thought you'd be...I don't know...more romantic."

"I'd love to be romantic with you, my dear," he murmured. "But while I'm engaged in a struggle for your affections, I'd rather give you what you want. And you, my love, like a little spice in bed. Actually, I'm beginning to think you like a lot of spice in bed."

She slid her hands over his. "I don't usually. It's different with you."

"Because you trust me," he said, kissing along her neck.

"Fischer's here," she reminded him.

He sighed and stepped back. "True. And you promised to call Marcus today."

"Crap. Yeah." She put her bra on, then her shirt, before reaching for her phone. Then she bit her lip, looking at Jane. "Do you really think someone's trying to get to me through the people I care about? Or is this a ploy to get me to dump Marcus for his own good?"

Jane gave her a rueful smile. "I only wish I'd thought of that. Would it work?"

"Maybe. Privacy, please?"

Jane pulled her against him and gave her a smacking kiss, then left the room, pulling the thin folding door closed behind him. He put the kettle on, wanting a fresh cup of tea, and listened to the murmur of Lisbon's voice. It started out businesslike, went soft and apologetic, then suddenly turned sharp. "No, I am not using this as an excuse to stop seeing you! If I wanted to break up with you, I would! I just think for your own safety—yes, I know you're a good agent, but this is—" She broke off in frustration and listened to what was apparently a tirade. "This has nothing to do with that. Jane is my partner. His safety is my priority right now."

Jane was momentarily distracted as Fischer returned. As she came in, Jane held a finger to his lips, nodding toward the bedroom. She looked surprised, but whispered, "Abbott wants you moved to a safe house until we get this guy."

"Only if Lisbon goes too," he whispered back.

"Yeah, I figured. It's fine. How soon can you be ready?"

"I'll just pack a few things once Lisbon's done in there. Tea?"

She held up a massive paper cup of coffee. "I'm good, thanks."

During the pause in conversation, Lisbon's voice came through clearly. "I can't do this right now, Marcus. I have work to do." A moment later, the door opened.

Jane kept his glee well concealed. Really, he'd been on the right track with his thoughts about getting shot to draw Lisbon to his side. If Marcus tried to divert her attention from him now, she would react with anger and disgust. She was in full-on protective mode, and she wouldn't let anyone get between them or distract her until she felt he was safe. "Ah, Lisbon. Fischer wants to take us to a safe house."

"Good. I don't think I can squeeze into that shower of yours," she said.

"Nonsense. If I fit, you will. But I'm sure the safe house will offer more roomy amenities," he replied. From the crinkle between her eyebrows, he deduced that she was very unhappy, but he couldn't ascertain whether she'd broken up with Marcus. Probably not, if only because she wouldn't take the time right now. But she was signaling clearly where her priorities lay, and Marcus would be a fool if he couldn't see it coming.

If he was smart, he'd wait until this was settled and then apologize for distracting her at a critical time. But in Jane's experience, very few men did the smart thing when it came to Lisbon. Even he'd been an idiot.

But he was the idiot she was in love with, fortunately for him.

Her phone rang again. "Hey Cho. Yeah. Yeah? Okay. Thanks." She sighed as she hung up.

"I'll just pack. Do we need to stop by your place, Lisbon?" Jane asked, moving toward the bedroom.

"Cho's bringing me some things tonight," she replied.

Jane reflected that Cho was possibly the only man on the planet who could go through Lisbon's underwear drawer without making him jealous. Cho could be trusted, and he and Lisbon weren't each other's type.

Thinking this way was exhausting. Once Lisbon gave Marcus his pink slip, Jane would get her to commit to exclusivity right away so he could stop eyeing every man in her vicinity as a possible rival. Once she was comfortable with that, he would fast track them to an engagement, just to make sure. Or maybe an elopement would suit her best. He'd have to probe a bit to ensure he didn't fall afoul of any deeply buried girlhood dreams.

But first he had to get this new threat resolved, he thought grimly as he threw things into a duffel bag. However, that wouldn't stop him from using it to help Lisbon achieve clarity. Once Fischer was gone and Cho was on duty, she would relax, and they could talk. He just hoped she didn't get some crazy idea in her contrary little head in the meantime.

mmm

The day dragged a bit. Fischer was an awkward third wheel, and it fell to him to keep up conversations with her since Lisbon was brooding. Jane mostly left her to it, since it meant she was coming to a decision. Actually, it meant she was examining the decision she'd already made, looking at it for flaws and threats and possible areas of regret. Since he knew her fear of losing him had thrown her choice into sharp relief last night, he was content to let her work it out in her own head.

Walking away from Marcus would cost her some pangs of regret for hurting him and result in a few "what if" moments in her future. But last night had reminded her how vital a part of her life Jane was. Even though he'd assured her she wouldn't lose him if she decided to be with Marcus, she'd been reminded that they were in a dangerous job where either of them could be killed at any time. And he wasn't the only one with long-standing fantasies about being together. Her unprecedented willingness to bare her body to him last night proved she wasn't willing to let go of that dream. And he'd made it clear that he wasn't going to share her.

Cho showed up with a takeout dinner for three and a bag for Lisbon, which was Fischer's cue to leave. Jane liked Fischer well enough, and so did Lisbon, but they were both happier to have Cho with them. Their shared history and well-oiled teamwork was a comfort.

"Any progress?" Lisbon asked him.

"Talked to Rigsby on the burner phone. They've been looking at the Volker angle. We know he's an expert at hiding his activities, and a lot of his shell companies still exist. Nothing yet, but there's a lot to go through. Wiley and I spent some time looking at cases we had in common with the other names on the list."

"That's what makes me think it's not Volker. Ardiles helped with the trial, but the others didn't have anything to do with catching him," Lisbon said.

Jane said, "Not with that, no. But they may have investigated him for other things. Or Volker may have thrown some names in at random to conceal his motive. Or perhaps he let his hired guns choose people they had grudges against, for the same reason."

Cho nodded. "Wouldn't put it past him. That'll make it harder to prove, though."

"Of course. That's something Volker would do," Jane said.

Lisbon asked, "Why are you so sure it's Volker?"

"Just a hunch." Jane hadn't yet parsed his subconscious reasoning, but he was rarely wrong when it came to sniffing out patterns. And though Lisbon obviously thought he might be attached to this theory for personal reasons, he was sure that wasn't the case. Well, pretty sure. Jealousy had a way of clouding the mind, and his thoughts today had frequently been interrupted by flashbacks to Lisbon taking off her shirt.

He wondered what she'd say if he told her she needed to break up with Marcus if she expected him to solve this case. He had a feeling it wouldn't be anything he wanted to hear.

"Somebody could be framing Volker," Cho pointed out.

"Who?" Jane replied. "Who else has the kind of resources we're talking about? Grace said that was some incredibly sophisticated phone tapping."

"We have to consider all the angles," Lisbon said. "We can't exclude suspects until we have some solid evidence."

"So right now your suspect pool is everyone we ever caught?" Jane rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Or pissed off," Cho said. "The entire population of California, pretty much."

"Oh, that's helpful. I'm going to bed," Jane said, standing. He had some heavy thinking to do.

"Wait. I need to...I want to talk to you," Lisbon said, getting to her feet as well.

"You two can sit. I'm going out to check the perimeter." Cho headed for the door with the intent air of someone escaping an awkward situation.

Lisbon and Jane sat back down on the couch, not quite as close as they'd been before, angled to face each other. Jane found it wonderfully endearing that she could still be nervous and awkward with him after she'd stripped half naked and let him fondle her all night. Of course he realized she'd been both comforting him and bribing him to behave, but that was probably the most intimate she'd ever been with a man she wasn't having sex with. Actually, it was probably the most intimate she'd ever been with a man, period. That level of caring had almost certainly made her feel more vulnerable than casual sex would.

He smiled gently at her, trying to put her at ease. "What have I done now?" he teased.

"Nothing. For a change. But I've been thinking." She wasn't looking at him.

He had a moment of horrible, soul-chilling doubt. Was she choosing Marcus? Was last night all he was going to have of her?

"When I saw you lying there in that parking lot, I think my heart stopped for a minute. I've been scared for you before, but this was..." She broke off, shaking her head. "This time all I could think about was how hurt you were when I didn't break up with Marcus. How unhappy I've made you. I never had to deal with that before."

He was intimately familiar with that kind of guilt. "I have forgiven you, you know," he told her. Not that he was over it, precisely, but he loved her enough to forgive a mistake. And if something did happen to him, he didn't want her to live with that searing, permanent pain of knowing you made someone you loved unhappy and now can never make it up to them.

Her eyes met his for the first time since Cho left. She looked surprised, but grateful. "When I saw you were all right, I was so thankful. Because I know I've said 'I love you' but I've never really told you what you mean to me. I don't know if I can. It feels too big for words."

He smiled at her again. "That's exactly what it's like. Too big for words."

She nodded. "I was so focused on you that I totally forgot Marcus was there until I stood up and saw him. And I know you hated seeing him kiss me, but even after that all you wanted to do was crawl into my arms and be held." She sounded a little choked up at the thought.

_And have my way with your breasts_, he was far too smart to say. Her interpretation was true, after all. It's just that he rarely had a single motive for anything he did.

"And I realized: we really are like an old married couple. Marcus is new and exciting, and he makes me feel things I haven't in a long time, but that's only because it's been so long that I've almost forgotten what it was like falling in love with you. And of course it was all wrong at the time so it was never like that for us anyway." She frowned, impatient with herself for not explaining better. As if he weren't hanging on her every word.

"But I realized last night when I was taking care of you that new and exciting isn't better than old and familiar. It's just different. And Marcus can never have all of my heart because you already have so much of it, and you're never going to let go of it."

"No, I'm not," he agreed, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm going to keep creeping into all the little nooks and crannies until it's completely mine. And I'll never give it back. But it's only fair, my love, because you already have all of my heart." He traced the curve of her cheek with a finger. "I told you I wanted to die of old age in your arms. Now that I've slept there, I'm determined to spend as much time there as possible."

She gave a little laugh and went eagerly into the hug he offered. Tucking his nose into her hair, he closed his eyes in contentment. He would hug her more often, he resolved. There was a healing, restful quality to it that he sorely needed.

When she pulled back after a long moment, he frowned a little, looking closely at her. "To be clear, you are saying that you're choosing to be with me, right? You're breaking up with Marcus?"

"Yes." She looked at him so he could see she was telling the truth. "I don't want to hurt him. He really is a great guy. But this isn't fair to any of us. And I know now that I'm not going to get over you. So I'll have to get over him."

As declarations went, that left a little to be desired, Jane mused. Still, the salient point was that she was choosing him. He would be content with that. He'd make her forget all about Marcus soon enough. "Let me stay with you tonight," he urged.

Lisbon shifted back, looking surprised and worried. Which only told him that she could be talked into it, he thought with delight. "Cho will be in the house with us," she protested.

"I meant to sleep, dearest. We're both exhausted, coming off a sleepless night. And I found your arms very restful indeed." He gave her the puppy dog look that had gotten her out of her shirt last night.

"Okay," she said finally. "But I'm keeping my shirt on."

"If you insist." Jane gave her a sly look to tell her they both knew perfectly well that if he wanted her naked, he'd get her that way. But he had no intention of testing his theory that Cho was the only man he couldn't be jealous of by possibly exposing him to a naked Lisbon. It had taken far too long to get rid of Marcus to start all that again. "When will you tell Marcus?"

"It's a little hard to do while we're hiding out in a safe house," she pointed out. "I'd rather not do it over the phone."

"I would rather you did," Jane said. Just because he'd forgiven her didn't mean he'd forgotten what happened the last time he thought she was going to break up with Marcus.

"Plus," Lisbon said, "it's going to be all over the FBI in two seconds flat that I broke up with him. Or that we broke up, at least. And all the rumors about us will start up again."

"There are rumors about us?" Of course he knew there were, some quite salacious. But he didn't realize she paid attention to that sort of thing.

"Oh, shut up. You know there are. You blackmailed the FBI to get me a job working with you. Everybody assumes it's because you're too weird or lazy to train a new lover."

He hadn't thought of it in quite that light before. "Well, you'll find out they're wrong about that. I don't think you'll need much training, though."

She rolled her eyes at his grin. "Good thing, because I'm pretty sure you're going to need a lot."

"Probably. Though I am a fast learner."

"Good. Because I don't like having my boobs used as a chew toy."

He laughed. "Why Lisbon, for years you told me repeatedly to bite you. I was simply following orders!"

She smacked him lightly on the shoulder as she got up. "Funny. Keep that up and you're sleeping alone tonight."

"Oh, I'll be good. I promise." When she looked over her shoulder, he waggled his eyebrows at her. Then he followed her upstairs, taking in the fine view of her jean-clad ass at eye level. He couldn't wait to see what that looked like uncovered. He chuckled quietly as he reflected that she'd said she was keeping her shirt on, but she'd said nothing about her jeans.

"Don't get your hopes up," Lisbon warned, glancing over her shoulder at him. "No funny business with Cho downstairs."

"No need to worry, my dear. I'm afraid he might kill me untraceably if I made him listen to you scream my name repeatedly." Now that he said it, he realized it was a real risk.

Lisbon smirked. "Nice to know you have a sense of self-preservation after all."

"Not much of one," he admitted, "but it's there."

"Good. Now get out of here while I get changed."

With a sigh, he let himself be banished from her room for a few minutes and went in search of his pajamas. After he changed into them, he spent a few minutes talking sternly to the parts of his anatomy that were a bit too excited by the idea of Lisbon stripping naked on the other side of the wall. Of course, maybe if she felt sorry for him, she'd help him with that problem.

But when he crawled into her bed and turned out the light, she was already half asleep. She had just enough energy left to roll over and drape an arm across his ribcage, murmuring something he thought contained his name.

"Good night, my love," he whispered into her ear, before curling up so close to her that their noses almost touched on the pillow. Then he listened to her breathe, enjoying the warm wash of it across his chin and letting it lull him to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay! I'm back in the semi-Arctic now, huddled in my house with nothing to do but write. So here's the part you've all been waiting for. Enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

Jane was startled awake by a fierce gust of rain blowing against the bedroom window. As he listened, a rumble of thunder reached him. Apparently they were in for a stormy night. He settled back down, rolling over to where Lisbon lay with her back to him and spooning up behind her.

He had almost forgotten what it was like to share a bed with a woman. He'd fallen into a deep sleep after his effort with Lorelei, which was for the best, he felt. So it had been more than twelve years since he'd snuggled with anybody. He marveled at how soft and warm Lisbon was and how she readily accepted his touch, even asleep. Her hair smelled faintly herbal when he buried his nose in it, and her skin was tantalizingly smooth when he slipped his hand beneath her tank top and stroked his fingers along her ribcage. She hummed a little in her sleep, which he took as encouragement.

He pondered the work it must take her to maintain the muscles under that soft skin, both in her abdomen and along her arms. That was the key, he thought, to her sexual needs. Because she was small, most men treated her as though she were fragile. But Lisbon was all about strength and endurance, being tougher and faster than the bad guys. There was nothing fragile about her, except her well-protected heart. She liked a challenge, and she wanted a fair contest. She despised anyone who pulled his punches.

Regarding him personally, she was most afraid of being manipulated. His instinct to devote his full attention to her pleasure without regard to his own would backfire, because she would read that as controlling. She had always taken his self-control for indifference, whereas he had learned early on that she would give him anything if he dropped his mask and let her truly see him. What Lisbon most wanted from him was a loss of self-control. She wanted to drive him wild with desire, to overwhelm his intellect with emotion or at least lust. She might not admit it even to herself, but that was why she'd been teasing him.

And she'd clung to Marcus because, as much as she wanted Jane to bare his true self to her, she was equally terrified of baring herself in return. There would be no going back from that, no safe retreat. Whatever else happened, they could never go back to pretending with each other.

Jane found the idea exhilarating. He couldn't wait to take that step with her and have someone behind the curtain with him again. But he recognized that Lisbon's own defenses were just as much a part of her early training, just as much a part of her survival, as his mask was for him. And she had never let someone in before, so she only knew the fear, not the rewards.

There was only one way to do this, he decided. He had to take the lead, be the first one to drop his defenses. He would let himself be vulnerable with her and let his desire take control. It would do more to reassure her than anything he could say if he cared more about having her than about being the one in control.

He grinned against her neck, moving his hand lower on her abdomen to slip beneath the waistband of her pants. He'd wake her gradually, he decided, to counteract her usual grumpiness. The storm would cover any noise they'd make; it was getting closer and louder by the minute.

As if to affirm his thought, a huge clap of thunder directly overhead shook the entire house. Lisbon jumped, startled awake.

"Ssh," he whispered in her ear. "Just a storm." He repositioned his hands to a more reassuring hold, feeling her heartbeat and breathing start to slow back toward normal.

"Bad one," she murmured.

"Mm hm," he agreed, nuzzling behind her ear.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

"A few minutes," he answered.

She stretched, then rolled over to face him. "You've been feeling me up in my sleep," she accused.

He grinned at her. "Guilty as charged. In my defense, you are irresistible, you know."

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "You spent all those years living like a monk, and all the sudden you can't keep your hands off me. Did you get hold of some Viagra or something?"

"No, just you," he chuckled. "I assure you, I have no need for pharmaceutical help. My decade of pent-up desire is far more potent." He sucked briefly on her earlobe. "In fact, I may be in imminent danger of exploding. And I'd really like to be deep, deep inside you when that happens."

She shivered, and he felt her heart rate and breathing speed up. Her voice was a little breathless when she said, "Not with Cho in the house."

"He won't hear anything in this storm," Jane said, slipping his hands inside her sleep pants and cupping her perfectly rounded ass, pressing her against him and kneading firmly. He smiled as she shifted position and rubbed herself against him. "I don't just want you, Lisbon. I need you. Now."

She didn't quite stifle her moan of agreement. "We have to be quiet."

"Don't worry," he rasped, nipping at her shoulder. "I'll stuff my tongue in your mouth when you start to scream."

Lisbon began tugging at his pajama top, too impatient to bother with the buttons. He stopped what he was doing long enough to help her pull it over his head, then returned the favor for her. Some of his marks from last night had faded, he saw, but he needed to be careful of her breasts tonight. "Hm. I did get a little carried away, didn't I?" he murmured, planting a soft kiss in an untouched spot.

"I'll say," Lisbon muttered, working intently on his pants. "I don't know where you got this theory that I'm into pain, but I'm not."

"That's not my theory," he assured her. "They're just so beautiful and suckable that I couldn't help myself. Sorry, sweetheart." He gave both nipples an apologetic lick.

Lisbon gave up on trying to pull his pants down and put her hands inside them instead. Jane stiffened as she got a firm grip on him. "Hey, careful," he groaned. "That thing's got a hair trigger."

She snickered. "So you don't want me to bite it?"

"No!" Well, if his goal was to lose his cool for her, that strangled yelp was a good sign, he thought. He decided to distract her by pulling her pants down, then throwing them on the floor and tossing the covers back so he could see what he'd uncovered. "Why have you been hiding these?" he asked, running a hand down one leg and up the other.

"You've seen them before," Lisbon pointed out.

"Once, briefly," he replied, slipping a finger between her legs and stroking, exploring her. Her legs fell open and her head fell back as he probed her slick heat. "Why Lisbon, I think you need more foreplay. I had no idea you were so high maintenance."

"Oh, shut up and take your pants off," she ordered.

He grinned as a flash of lightning illuminated the room, giving him a clear glimpse of his finger embedded in her. He swallowed hard against the urge to come then and there, freeing both hands to get rid of his pants. Then he positioned himself between her legs, pausing to look down at her as lightning lit her pale skin. She was staring up at him, her eyes dark and wide with desire and a hint of fear.

_The last woman I'll ever make love with_, he thought. "I love you," he told her.

He watched her swallow hard before saying it back to him. "I love you too." Then she reached for his cock, guiding it where she wanted it.

He pushed the tip inside her and paused, struck by an unwelcome thought. "Uh. Condom?"

"If you stop now, I'll kill you," she breathed, arching her hips to try to draw him inside.

"Good," he grunted, relieved. He bet she'd been fastidious with her casual lovers, and there was no problem on his end. And if he impregnated her, he'd be the happiest man alive. "Hold on."

Lisbon dug her nails into his shoulders, and he put his weight into his initial thrust, making them both cry out with the intensity of it. Jane's mind begin to short circuit. He knew he wasn't much above average size, but she felt tiny, and the friction as he moved inside her was enough to shut down his higher brain functions.

He was very glad Lisbon wasn't looking for a leisurely, extended session, because even with all his tricks and knowledge, he wasn't sure he was capable of that with her. His body was screaming at him to pound away until she shattered, and for once he didn't second guess it.

A deafening roll of thunder covered Lisbon's shriek as he hit just the right spot, and he grinned savagely at her. He'd show her she could come the first time with the right man. Hell, he'd show her she could come every time. Several times a night. Until she begged him to stop.

"Open your eyes," he urged, wanting to look into them and be sure she knew exactly whom she was with. Had she fantasized about him when she was with other men? Was that why she closed her eyes? When she didn't open them, he called, "Lisbon."

Her eyes flew open, meeting his, and he understood why she'd closed them. They showed him the overwhelming emotions she was feeling, and a tear escaped to slide down her cheek.

He panted, "I love you. Forever. I've waited so long. It's better than I dreamed."

She wound her fingers into his hair and pulled him down for a kiss that took his breath away, which he took to mean she felt the same. He finally had to free his mouth to heave in a breath or two, holding eye contact with her as he felt her body tensing around him.

Lisbon made a keening noise that he instantly committed to memory, then shifted her legs restlessly, digging her heels into his ass as she simultaneously tried to change the angle and push him deeper into her. He could swear he felt himself slam against her cervix in the second before she convulsed, squeezing him so hard he let out a hoarse shout before remembering to muffle his mouth against hers, mingling their cries. He did his best to hold out through her orgasm, but she was still shuddering when he came so hard he might have blacked out for a second.

Collapsing on top of her, he gasped for breath, trying to gather the strength and motor control to roll off her. Lisbon squirmed underneath him, pushing, so he made the effort to heave himself up. As he lifted himself on his shaking arms, a burning pain shot through one tricep, and he fell awkwardly on the edge of the bed, rolling off onto the floor.

Lisbon cried, "Jane!" over three gunshots, very close. Panicked, he pushed himself up on his knees and saw her seemingly unhurt, aiming her gun at the open door.

Cho appeared almost instantly, gun drawn, and knelt to examine the intruder. Jane became aware that his arm hurt like a son of a bitch and realized there was blood streaming down it.

"Jane. Oh God," Lisbon said, scrambling off the bed to kneel in front of him. "You're hit."

"Bastard's dead," Cho said, standing and stepping back through the door. "I'll call an ambulance."

Lisbon tore a sleeve off Jane's discarded pajama top and used it to wrap his wound, which made it hurt worse. He tried to breathe through the pain, focusing on her wild hair and worried eyes. Then he remembered something important.

"Lisbon. I'm never going to say this to you again, so please listen," he said, gritting his teeth against the pain.

She laid a hand tenderly on his cheek. "What is it?" she asked.

"Put some clothes on."

He derived wan amusement from watching her realize that Cho had just seen her stark naked and fresh off an orgasm. Then she turned into a blur of motion, pulling on the clothes she'd worn that day and forcibly helping Jane into his boxers and pajama pants. He could see her trying frantically to think of some explanation for why the shooter had found them in bed together, as if Cho hadn't already figured it out.

Jane would happily send an official memo to every FBI agent in the country announcing that he was the lucky man Lisbon had chosen, but he knew she would prefer to keep this under wraps, at least until she had a chance to break up with Marcus.

"You were amazing," he smiled at her.

"I should have seen him sooner," she grumbled.

"I meant before we were so rudely interrupted." He was delighted to see her blush.

"Thanks. So were you," she said, meeting his eyes briefly before looking down at his wound again.

"What happened?" he asked, settling himself against the wall.

"I didn't see him until it was too late. He was already in the room, and he shot you before I could get to my gun." Lisbon sounded angry with herself. "I was supposed to be protecting you, not screwing you."

"I have no complaints," Jane assured her. "He must have used the cover of the storm to sneak in."

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Listen," he said. "We'll tell them we were up here talking. He can't contradict us."

"Cho saw us," she reminded him.

"Cho's not going to rat you out," Jane assured her. "Are you, Cho?"

"What?" Cho said from the doorway. "I heard you guys up here talking, then gunfire. Looks like he climbed that tree and came in through the upstairs window at the back of the house. Lock was busted. He's got a silencer. He had a plan and resources."

"No surprise there," Lisbon sighed.

"Ambulance is on its way. So are Fischer and Abbott."

Lisbon stood. "Jane, do you think you can get downstairs?"

He realized she wanted as few people in here as possible, so he nodded. "Yeah. Can you make me a cup of tea?"

"Sure." She bent to support him as he got to his feet. As they shuffled toward the door, Jane took a look at his would-be assassin. The man was surprisingly small and lithe, like an acrobat, which lent credibility to the tree-climbing theory. It also explained how he could move so quietly, even with the storm providing cover. But had he meant to kill them both? He couldn't expect to leave Lisbon alive and escape.

"Does he have anything else on him?" Jane asked.

Cho knelt and patted the corpse's pockets. Then he drew out a black fabric pouch containing a syringe filled with liquid. "Huh. Not just a shooter."

"No." Jane looked at Lisbon grimly. "He was going to kill me and kidnap you. Which means he's got an accomplice nearby, probably the getaway driver."

"I'm on it," Cho said, turning to hurry down the stairs.

Jane said, "I can manage. Why don't you make the bed?"

"I'm not leaving you by yourself," she replied, helping him step over the shooter. "Wait a sec."

She tossed the covers back into place, which at least covered the wet spot, then went back to Jane. "Come on. Let's get your tea before the ambulance gets here. At least this time you won't be a pain in the ass about going to the hospital."

"Not if you go with me," he promised.

mmm

Jane hated emergency rooms, and this was his second one this weekend. He would have been very cranky about it if he weren't still euphoric about finally making love with Lisbon. When he was tempted to snap at the EMTs or hospital staff, he glanced at her lovely face and remembered the look in her eyes just before she came.

She stayed beside him the entire time, distracting him with conversation while his arm was stitched up. Fortunately the bullet had just grazed his upper arm, probably because Lisbon had made him move just before the shooter fired.

After the stitches, they were left alone for a moment, and Jane smiled up at her. "You saved my life, you know."

"How do you figure?"

"You pushed me out of the way. If you hadn't, he might have hit me in the head."

Lisbon looked sick, and he regretted putting the image in her head. But that was what the shooter had intended, hadn't he? Kill Jane, leaving Lisbon spattered in gore and presumably distracted. The intruder could then have forced her to accept the injection at gunpoint, while she was too stunned and upset to think of a countermove. Then he must have planned to kill Cho on his way out with a drugged and compliant Lisbon.

And then do what? Volker was in prison, so he couldn't have her brought to him. He liked to watch, though. Was the plan to record a grieving Lisbon being tortured and killed and then smuggle that to Volker?

"Do you need some more pain meds?" Lisbon asked, sliding her hands over his clenched fists.

"No. I'm okay. Just thinking."

She sighed. "Yeah. Maybe we should go back to your island and hide out."

Now there was an idea, he thought. Long walks on the beach with Lisbon. Steamy nights making love, then getting up to watch the sunrise together. Well, he would watch the sun rise over her sleeping face, he amended. Lisbon was not a sunrise watcher. He'd wait until it was later in the morning before waking her with kisses and caresses, greeting the day with slow, sweet loving.

"Seriously?" Lisbon demanded, eyeing the tent he was making in the sheet with exasperation. "We're in an emergency room!"

He grinned. "There's no place on this Earth I don't want you, Lisbon. Especially now that I know how passionate you are. You've created a monster."

She blushed again. "Hush. Abbott could walk in here any minute."

"Too bad for him. I'm not sharing you. Which reminds me," he said, sobering. "I want us to be exclusive. And I need to hear you say it."

"All right. We're exclusive," she said softly. "As soon as I can tell Marcus."

"Thank you. Seal it with a kiss?" he suggested.

She glanced around, then drew the curtain for privacy before sitting on the edge of the bed and giving him a quick kiss. "Now will you behave?" she demanded.

"Yes. For you. But only you. So you can't leave me on my own." He threaded his fingers through hers.

"Someone is after you. I'm not leaving you alone for a second," she agreed.

The curtain was drawn back, and Jane and Lisbon both turned to look, expecting the doctor. Lisbon snatched her hand out of his as she recognized Fischer, then got to her feet as Marcus appeared behind her.

Fischer said, "You're both okay?"

"We're fine," Jane said. "Did you get the accomplice?"

"Not yet. But we're very interested in how they found you. You didn't tell anybody where you were, did you?"

Lisbon said, "Of course not!"

Jane said, "The only people I'd want to tell are Lisbon and Cho."

Marcus said, "Teresa didn't tell me, so why would she tell someone else?"

Lisbon said, "How are you here, Marcus? I didn't call you."

"I did," Fischer replied. "I figured we could trust him." She looked at Jane, then back at Lisbon. "Is that a problem?"

Jane did have a problem with that, actually, but he knew Lisbon needed to handle this. So he kept quiet and waited for her to do so.

Lisbon looked nervous as she smiled at Marcus. "Can I have a word?"

"Of course. We'll grab a coffee," Marcus smiled at her. "Glad you're okay, Jane."

"Go ahead," Fischer said. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Jane desperately wished he had a way to eavesdrop on their conversation; he hated the sight of Lisbon walking away with his rival, vanquished or not. Reminding himself that he was the one who'd been inside her a few minutes ago was comforting, though. Lisbon could hardly ignore her promise to him with his semen dripping out of her.

Fischer stood awkwardly for a moment, then said, "Off the record, Cho's doing a great job of covering for you, but it's obvious you two were having sex when you got shot."

"So much for the afterglow," Jane joked.

She frowned at his levity. "Don't worry. Nobody's going to pursue it. I mean, as long as Abbott can pretend he doesn't know, he won't initiate any disciplinary action against Lisbon."

Jane frowned. "Lisbon saved my life."

"Yes. And possibly her own."

"So what disciplinary action are you talking about? Lisbon's not my supervisor. I'm not an agent. What we do on our own time is not the FBI's business." And he was damned if he was going to let Fischer or Abbott poke their noses into his love life. He knew how much Lisbon valued her job at the FBI, and he was not going to let her be put in a position where she had to choose between it and him.

"True," Fischer said. "But you weren't on your own time. She was on duty. On protective detail. And she let herself be distracted. If your relationship interferes with her ability to do her job, that's a problem."

"It won't be a problem," Jane said firmly. He'd be lucky if Lisbon ever let him lay a hand on her outside the privacy of their homes again.

"Good. She's a good agent. She can have a great career at the FBI if she doesn't mess it up."

Jane knew the general perception was that he'd held Lisbon back at the CBI. While that might be true, he thought it had more to do with the Blake Association than with the higher-ups thinking she wasn't a good cop. And he had every intention of helping Lisbon make the best of this job he was responsible for getting her. He wanted only good things for her, and he would make sure she got them.

"She won't. Anyway, Abbott knows better than to get rid of his Jane whisperer," Jane said breezily.

Fischer did a double take. "You've heard that, huh?"

"Lisbon told me. It's not a talent that can be taught. She's the one and only." He wanted to be clear about this. He liked Fischer when she wasn't trying to control him, but he was never going to extend her the privileges he granted Lisbon. Those were hers alone.

Fischer smiled at him. "I'm going to figure you out yet, Jane."

"Everybody needs a hobby," Jane said cheerfully.

Fischer chuckled. "Yeah. Hey, can I ask you a question? It's something I've been trying to figure out."

"Ask away. I don't promise to answer, though." He knew what she was trying to figure out, but the truth would only mystify her. Lisbon was right; nobody could understand what it was like to hunt Red John all those years except those who'd been there.

"You and Lisbon. You were involved before, weren't you?"

He gave her a crooked grin. "That is most assuredly not your business. And perhaps you're not aware that Lisbon was in fact my supervisor at the CBI, so a sexual relationship was out of the question."

He knew she'd take his non-denial as confirmation, but that was okay. If she determined Lisbon had controlled him through sex, she would stop trying to figure out some other way to do it. And since she knew he was with Lisbon, she wouldn't try it that way. He figured she'd keep trying to build a friendship with Lisbon and work with her to manage him, which was fine. Lisbon needed friends.

A few minutes later, Lisbon returned. She was making a valiant attempt to hide how upset she was, and he felt at once sorry for her and relieved. She'd broken up with Marcus at last.

"Where's Pike?" Fischer asked.

"Agent Pike won't be joining us on this case," Lisbon replied.

"Really?" Fischer looked confused, which Jane thought was disingenuous since she knew Lisbon had just had sex with him. How could she think Marcus had a serious chance?

Jane refrained from making any of the sore loser remarks that occurred to him, not wanting to make Lisbon any more unhappy than she was. He would be gracious in victory. "So, Fischer, where to now? A safer house, I hope? Lisbon suggested Venezuela. I admit I'm not averse to the idea."

"The FBI has no jurisdiction in Venezuela," Fischer pointed out.

"Yet that didn't stop you from mounting an undercover operation there."

She looked unhappy, as she always did when he brought that up. He thought it was because he'd gotten a glimpse of the real Kim, but it might also be that she was embarrassed about how much she'd liked him.

Lisbon said, "If you're right about it being Volker, he has international reach. I'd rather stay where my badge means something."

"All right," Jane said. "Can there at least be a beach? I make a very convincing beach bum."

Both women snorted in amusement, then exchanged smiles. Lisbon said, "Well, you have the wardrobe."

He grinned. "And all you'd need is a bikini. Maybe a nice sundress for evenings." He very much liked that idea.

"Unfortunately," Fischer said, "Abbott is leaning more toward a detention suite."

"No," Jane said firmly. Lisbon would go mad confined to a tiny room. "I've done my time there. How about we take the Airstream out for a spin? We can go undercover as an average middle class couple off to see the sights."

"Too hard to arrange backup," Fischer objected. "For tonight, unless the hospital will admit you, it'll be a hotel with good security."

"They're not admitting him," Lisbon said. "The doctor said there's no need."

"You got my discharge?" Jane said with delight.

"Working on it. You're signing them yourself, though. I'm done with paperwork on your account," Lisbon told him.

Jane took the opportunity to let Fischer know how things stood. "Lisbon has had my medical power of attorney for years."

"He just loves to stick me with paperwork," Lisbon complained.

"Well, if we're not staying, I'll go make the hotel arrangements," Fischer said.

When she was gone, Jane held out his good hand to Lisbon. "How did he take it, love?" he asked gently.

"Not well. He was hurt, and angry, and thinks I should give him another chance," she sighed, taking his hand. She didn't resist when he tugged her to the bed, then pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair.

"No, you're not," she grumbled into his hospital gown.

"I'm not sorry you broke up with him, but I'm sorry it was difficult for you," he explained. "I know giving him up was hard. And I very much hope this will be the last sacrifice you will ever make on my behalf." He stroked her hair.

She let out a long sigh. "Yeah."

"I will make it up to you," he promised. "When this is over, I want to take you to a beach somewhere and relax."

"Sounds great." Her voice was getting drowsy, and he realized how late it was.

"Don't fall asleep, darling. We aren't in for the night yet."

She sighed and sat up. "Right." She toyed with his fingers for a moment, then said, "I don't understand all this. Kidnapping you while you're on the phone, coming after us when he can clearly hear we're awake—it's like they aren't serious. Why not wait until we fell asleep?"

"He's toying with us. With you," Jane said. He needed her to understand what she was up against. "Like a cat with a mouse, letting it think it can escape before trapping it again. This is Volker's version of luring you to an abandoned house and painting your face with blood."

She shivered. "He's showing me how it feels to lose you, to make it worse. To stretch it out."

"I think so, yes. But you aren't going to lose me," he said, worried at the desolation in her eyes.

"Damn straight I'm not," she agreed, pulling herself up straight and composing her expression. "You were a pain in my ass for years. I want at least as long with you making it up to me."

He smiled. "So do I. We outsmarted him once; we'll do it again."

"Assuming it's him," she pointed out.

"Lisbon," he chided. "When was the last time I was wrong about this sort of thing?"

She rolled her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long! Real life kicked my butt this past week. I'll do better from now on, I hope. Thanks for not giving up on this story, and to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

**Chapter 6**

It took a ridiculous amount of time to escape the hospital and get settled in adjoining rooms in a nearby hotel. Jane knew that Fischer expected to bunk with Lisbon while Cho watched him sleep, but she was the only one under that illusion. Cho set his bag down near the inner door of the room, obviously prepared to deal with whatever sleeping arrangements evolved. Lisbon tossed her bag beside Jane's, in no way prepared to let him out of her sight.

After she had him settled safely in bed, sans his ruined pajama top, she sat down on the edge and smiled at him, stroking his hair lightly. "How're you feeling?"

"I'd be better if you'd lie down with me," he said.

She glanced over her shoulder toward the connecting doors, open partway to make a visual barrier but allow sound through. Cho and Fischer were talking softly on the other side, probably making plans. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'll take the other bed."

Jane frowned. While he couldn't blame her for not wanting to snuggle in front of their coworkers, he was concerned that allowing her to distance herself at this critical stage would end badly. She might take a leaf from his book and decide that they had to distance themselves to reduce the chance that the person targeting her would harm him. It was too late for that, even if he would ever have agreed to it.

Cho peeked around the edge of the door, then stepped through. "Lisbon, get some sleep. We'll leave the doors open and I'll take watch. Fischer's going to grab some shuteye too. Abbott wants us in the office in the morning. Figures that's the safest place."

"When are you going to sleep?" Lisbon asked, concerned.

Cho shrugged. "Maybe I can take a nap on Jane's couch."

"I will happily loan it to you for a few hours. It's very comfortable," Jane said.

"Thanks," Cho said. "You need anything?"

"I'm good," Jane said. He didn't think he'd sleep tonight, which was one of the reasons he really wanted to cuddle Lisbon.

"Yell if you need me," Cho said, going back into the other room, no doubt to settle in with War and Peace.

Lisbon sighed. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Again. Behave." She grabbed her bag and vanished into the bathroom, which he thought was a little uncalled for, given that both he and Cho had already seen her naked.

Jane did some deep breathing to calm and relax his body, which needed rest even if his mind didn't. In the silence, he heard Fischer address Cho. "Shouldn't you be in the other room?"

"No," Cho said.

"This isn't standard protocol. I don't know how it worked at the CBI, but—"

"This isn't about the CBI." There was an edge in Cho's voice that Jane found interesting. He wondered how hard Cho had to work to live down his last job and thought how bitterly unfair it was that such a hardworking, talented, and honest cop had been tainted by Bertram's involvement with the Blake Association. And then he ground his teeth a little wondering if Lisbon caught flak for that at the FBI when he wasn't around to hear it. "This is about Jane being in danger. Lisbon isn't going to trust him to anyone else."

"Even you?" Fischer asked.

"If you separate them, nobody will get any rest. Jane will be uncooperative and Lisbon will worry about him. Just let them do what they need to do."

Fischer grumbled, "As long as they don't wake me up."

Jane rolled his eyes. Even he wasn't persuasive enough to seduce Lisbon with their colleagues on the other side of a partially open door. Not to mention that he wasn't an exhibitionist himself. He planned to spend the night thinking, but he would do that much better if he could listen to Lisbon breathe and know she was safe. She'd sleep better with him in the same room, too.

Cho must have decided Fischer's comment didn't need a response, which was just as well since Lisbon emerged from the bathroom at that moment. Jane gladly turned his attention to her. He'd long harbored fantasies about her jersey, but nowadays she seemed to favor tank tops and loose pants for sleepwear. He didn't mind; she looked sexy in anything.

He pouted at her as she went to the other double bed and threw back the covers. "Good night, Jane," she said softly as she slid under them.

"Sleep well, Lisbon," he responded, letting his affection show. Then he started to reach for the lamp beside his bed and gave a grunt of pain. "Damn. Not being able to use my arm is annoying."

Lisbon sighed and hauled herself out of bed, coming over to his bedside to reach for the lamp. After she turned it off, he reached for her wrist with his good arm, preventing her from leaving again. His voice was the barest ghost of a whisper as he said, "Kiss me good night. Please."

She gave another sigh, this one more wistful and less annoyed. Then she sat down beside him and tentatively laid her hand on his cheek, using it as a guide in the dim light as she bent and pressed her lips to his. "Good night," she whispered.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "And feel free to climb into bed with me if you have bad dreams." He'd nearly been killed in front of her; nightmares weren't unlikely. "Or if I do."

"Here's hoping for only sweet dreams," she said, getting up. He immediately missed her warmth.

They couldn't afford to keep reacting, waiting for the next attack. The next one might be successful, and Jane was determined to live long enough to enjoy afterglow with Lisbon. Repeatedly. Preferably well into his nineties.

Step one in Volker's plan was perfectly obvious: Kill people close to Lisbon, including him. With the Rigsbys off the grid, Cho and Jane were the main targets. Apparently Volker had decided to cut to the chase once Grace discovered what was up and go straight for Jane, maybe because he knew that would hurt Lisbon the most, or maybe because Jane had played such a key role in bringing him down.

The drug the shooter had carried argued that there was a step two involving Lisbon herself. Except that if this had been a real attempt, Lisbon was right: he should have waited until they fell asleep. Then he could have shot Jane with the silencer and taken Lisbon off guard, which wasn't easy to do when she was awake.

He took a moment to bask in his pride in her. On the tail end of a spectacular orgasm, she'd had the presence of mind to notice the intruder, push Jane out of the way, grab her gun, and put three shots into the bastard. He'd almost forgotten how badass she could be; there hadn't been much call for it at the FBI so far, and during his time away he'd mostly dwelled on her gentler side.

If this attempt had been another warning shot, why telegraph the kidnapping? To add to Lisbon's dread? Jane didn't think he was being overly self-important to predict that in the immediate aftermath of his death, Lisbon wasn't going to care very much what happened to herself. He certainly hadn't valued his own life after losing his family.

But no, he had to remember she was stronger than he was. She might be able to pick up and go on, finding some way to honor his too-short presence in her life that didn't involve revenge or self-destruction. He wanted her to do that, he realized.

More pertinently, Volker was a narcissistic sociopath who had probably never loved anyone. He would expect Lisbon to react the way he would, with irritation and wounded pride rather than soul-crushing grief. He'd expect her to have fight left in her, which she undoubtedly would. So maybe kidnapping her to have his minions act out his revenge fantasies really was the plan.

They needed to do something to change the game.

Lisbon muttered, "You're thinking so hard you're keeping me awake."

"I'm thinking as quietly as I can," he said, amused.

"Go to sleep," she ordered.

"I can't. I don't have anything to distract me except my own thoughts."

Lisbon heaved a very put-upon sigh. "You're thinking about Volker, aren't you."

"Of course. I've been almost-kidnapped and shot in a very vulnerable moment by a man who apparently intended to kidnap you. It is my top priority to avoid a continuation of this pattern. Well," he amended, "perhaps not my top priority. Though it is certainly a goal of mine to avoid being shot again. And to avoid people walking in on us making love."

"Ssh," Lisbon hissed.

"If you came over here, I could talk more quietly," he pointed out. He decided not to tell her that his highest priority was to keep their romance moving in the right direction.

"Fine." She crawled into the other side of his bed, staying firmly on her side.

That was better, he thought, but there was plenty of room for improvement. "I don't bite."

Lisbon snorted. "I have physical evidence that you do. And you don't get a chance to do any more of it tonight."

Grinning, he said, "My dear, I've been shot. I'm afraid there will be no more amorous interludes tonight. All I want is the comfort of your presence."

"Says the man who got hard in the ER." He could feel her rolling her eyes.

"Only because I was imagining being tucked away with you in my little island hideaway," he said. "How we'd wear each other out every night and how I'd wake you up every morning with sweet little kisses and slide into you so we could greet the day with our joy at being together."

"Only you could turn being on the run from someone who wants to kill you into a sexy beach vacation." Her tone was dry, but he heard the traces of admiration and longing in it.

"There's no need to be miserable just because some bastard wants me dead. It's not a new concept," Jane pointed out. He paused as an idea occurred to him. "If I do die, will you go back to Marcus?" That was the part of his rapidly evolving plan he liked the least.

"What? No!" Lisbon sounded angry. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I was just wondering. I'd hate to think of you being alone and sad."

"You're not going to die. Do you hear me?" she hissed.

"But while they're coming after me, we still don't know what they have planned for you. We need to let them succeed."

Lisbon made a little choking sound. She really must be tired, he thought, to be so slow on the uptake. "Jane," she said, her voice thick with tears. "Don't say that. Your death would crush me. Being without you before was bad enough, and I still had hope I'd see you again. But knowing you were gone forever, that there was nothing left of you but a gravestone, that I'd never hear your voice or see your smile again, ever...I couldn't."

He reached for her with his good hand. "Teresa. I have no intention of dying. I just meant we should let them think they'd succeeded on the next attempt."

"Oh." She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"We can talk about it in the morning. Well, later this morning. I shouldn't have brought it up." He couldn't bear to see her in tears, and she'd had a rough night.

She scooted over to lie against him, head on his bare shoulder. He could feel the tip of her adorable nose against his neck and her silky hair caressing his skin as he slipped his good arm around her.

Her breath warmed him as she spoke. "I guess I should be glad you're giving me a heads up. If you ever fake your death and don't tell me, I will never forgive you, Jane. Do you understand me? Never."

"I wouldn't do that to you," he promised. She was emotional enough just thinking about his death that he was sure she could keep up the grieving girlfriend act long enough for his purposes.

"You better not," she muttered.

He kissed the top of her head. "I promise. I'd never hurt you like that. I love you."

"That never stopped you before."

He stifled a sigh. She had all too many reasons not to trust that he'd put her feelings ahead of his goals. Only time would change her mind. "That's all over now. I had to keep my promise to my family. But now I can be myself again. I can put you first. And I will."

"Do you know who you are?" she asked, very quietly.

"I'm remembering. I'm rediscovering happiness, and you're the reason. Just stick with me, Teresa. I'll be good for you. I'll be good to you." He would, he resolved. She was his new obsession, though he knew she wouldn't like to hear him put it that way.

"Like I'm going to let you out of my sight," she yawned. "Sleep, Jane."

He yawned too. "Sweet dreams, my darling. Love you."

"Love you too," she murmured drowsily. A few minutes later, he heard her breathing change and was surprised to find himself starting to drift off. It must be the painkillers, he thought. Or maybe it was the armful of warm comfort she provided and the security of her arm tucked firmly around his ribcage, as if she was afraid he would disappear.

She didn't have to worry. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

mmm

Jane half woke when he became aware that Lisbon was sliding away from him. He reached for her automatically with both arms and woke fully with a cry of pain.

"Lie still," she said, reaching out to hold him in place. "I'll get your pain medicine."

She was back in a moment with pills and a glass of water. He downed both without complaint, then focused on lying still so he wouldn't make his arm hurt worse.

"I'll make you some tea," Lisbon offered, looking down at him sympathetically. "We have to go straight to the office, but Cho said he'd tell Wiley to stop by a diner and get you your loosely scrambled eggs. Anything else you need?"

He puckered his lips. "A good morning kiss."

She glanced over her shoulder and, seeing neither of their colleagues, dropped a quick kiss on his mouth. "Good morning."

"Now it is," he replied.

"I'll get Cho in here to help you dress after you shower."

"Why not you? It's not like I've got anything you haven't seen," he pointed out. "In fact you could help me shower."

"That wouldn't be appropriate," she reproved.

"You could wash my hair," he said hopefully, betting that was one of her fantasies about him. "Just tell Fischer you kept your eyes closed the whole time."

Lisbon snorted. "There's not a woman alive who'd manage that," she retorted, to his delight.

He could see her point about not getting naked with him while stuck with an audience, but he wasn't willing to totally give up on his idea. "Help me wash my hair in the sink, then. I can rinse it off in the shower."

She bit her lip, tempted. "I suppose we could do that."

He grinned at her and slid out of bed, keeping his left arm as still as possible. Lisbon followed him into the small bathroom and wrinkled her nose at the tiny sink.

"I'll stick my head in the shower to wet it," he decided. "I can sit on the edge of the tub while you shampoo." As he tried to shimmy awkwardly out of his pajama bottoms and boxers, she shook her head, helped him out of them, then guided him to sit with his feet in the tub.

Soon they had themselves organized and Jane was closing his eyes in bliss as Lisbon shampooed his hair, nails scratching lightly against his scalp. Oh, they needed to do this again soon, he thought, preferably in private. He craved her touch—he always had—but he had rarely indulged himself until recently. Her fingers sliding through his wet hair gave rise to feelings of both comfort and desire. He could sit here like this all day.

She was finished all too soon, turning on the water and washing the lather off her hands as he stood. "Hurry up," she said. "I need a shower too."

He barely got his mouth open to make the obvious suggestion before she said, "Don't even go there. You know what? I'll use the other one. Fischer must be done by now."

Despite his pout of disappointment in her direction, Jane was content as he stepped under the spray and tilted his head to let the suds rinse off. He'd woken up with her for the second day in a row. That was a win in his book.

mmm

As soon as they got to the office, Cho made a beeline for the couch and promptly fell asleep. It was slightly quieter than normal because it was Sunday, but the FBI didn't break for the weekend anymore than the CBI ever had.

Jane took a seat in Lisbon's guest chair as Wiley brought his eggs, and Lisbon detoured to the break room to get her coffee and his tea. As she sat down, Wiley handed her a muffin and blushed when she gave him a grateful smile.

Jane reflected on Lisbon's ability to win hearts without even trying. "Thanks for the tea." He sipped it with satisfaction.

"You're welcome," she replied. "Are you still thinking about your imminent death?"

"Yes. I need you on board with this to convince Abbott."

Lisbon looked skeptical. "So you're thinking what, you carry around fake blood and pretend to die next time you get shot at? Then go into hiding while I run around organizing a funeral and waiting for them to take a shot at me?"

"It sounds like crap when you say it," he complained. "I can die very convincingly, thank you, and Cho will be glued to your side afterward. He would be there for you if it were real, after all."

"How do we guarantee they don't really kill you instead of fake kill you?"

"I was thinking we beat them to the punch. You know, bust goes wrong on another case, that sort of thing. That way we control the situation."

Lisbon thought about that for a minute, sipping her coffee. "Abbott won't go for it."

"He will if you tell him it's the best way to make sure my brain remains at his disposal rather than spattered on the pavement somewhere."

She winced. "Would you really stay in hiding while I'm out there being bait?"

"I was thinking you could take some time off to grieve and we'd go into hiding together." That sounded like a truly excellent idea, he thought.

"That definitely won't fly. Both of us would be in danger again," she pointed out.

"True, alas. Very well. I promise to stay in hiding and behave." He had some ideas about where to do that, however.

Lisbon was sold, he could tell. His safety was important to her, after all. "I suppose you want a big funeral. With your ashes scattered into the ocean or something."

He froze, aware that his honest response to that would hurt her. Then he took a sip of tea, hoping she hadn't noticed.

Lisbon put down her coffee. "Oh. No, of course. That was stupid. You want to be buried with your family."

"I think that would look the most authentic," he said, apologizing with his eyes. "No service though. Just a few words at the graveside will do. The trip to Sacramento will give them plenty of opportunities to make their move."

She nodded, picking at her muffin. He wanted to tell her not to take it personally, but she already was, and discussing personal issues in the office was not going to make her any happier.

Abbott arrived, called Fischer into his office, and then summoned them all to the conference room. Cho got up and joined them, though Jane felt one of them could have brought him up to speed later.

Abbott was an unhappy man. "An FBI safe house was breached and our consultant wounded. Would anyone like to explain how this happened?"

Wiley spoke up. "It appears someone hacked into the GPS on the SUV Agent Fischer drove."

Fischer said, "We will be using random rental vehicles from now on."

Abbott nodded. "Good. So we think this wasn't an internal leak?"

"No evidence of that," Fischer assured him.

"And we're sure the shooter was aiming for Jane? I understand you were in the room with him, Lisbon."

"Yes, sir," she said. "He was aiming at Jane's head. I pushed him out of the way as soon as I saw the shooter."

Abbott regarded Jane with mild exasperation. "This is the second assault you've sustained in two days. While I knew you were going to cause trouble, I didn't expect you to be the primary victim."

Jane shrugged, then winced. He really had to remember not to move his left arm. "I don't think this is aimed at me."

"So I'm told. But this wouldn't be the first time someone came after you for a grudge," Abbott pointed out.

"I haven't annoyed anyone that badly since I've been back," Jane said. "That'd have to be a powerful grudge for someone to wait two and a half years to come after me."

"Yes," Abbott said, "but the same thing holds true for your theory about Tommy Volker. That's been what, three years?"

"Volker's been busy. He was still going through his appeals process when the CBI was disbanded. With Lisbon unemployed, then banished to Washington, and me on the run from the law, he probably thought we had our just desserts. But now I'm back, and we're working together again solving high-profile cases. That must really burn," Jane said.

Lisbon and Cho were nodding. Abbott glanced at them, then said, "You agree, Lisbon?"

"It does seem to make sense," she replied. "Volker lost his appeal earlier this year. Now that he has no hope of getting out of prison, maybe he decided to try for revenge. Jane was instrumental in putting him away."

"I'm not the target," Jane said. Really, how many times did he have to say it?

Abbott frowned. "What makes you think so?"

"Because Volker likes to be in on the kill. Sending someone to shoot me makes no sense. He'd want me to know why I was dying, and he'd want a video of it."

Fischer said, "Someone did try to kidnap you Friday night. That fits Volker's MO."

"Yes," Jane admitted. "But it was Lisbon who took him down. She's the real target."

"How did Osvaldo Ardiles fit in?" Fischer asked.

Lisbon said, "He got me some documents I needed during the investigation. And as an ADA, he was involved in prosecuting Volker."

"He was involved in prosecuting a lot of our cases," Cho remarked.

"True," Jane said. "But how many California criminals have the reach to hire hit men here in Texas? Especially those willing to take on the FBI?"

Abbott nodded. "You seem very sure, despite the fact that Volker is closely monitored and we've found no evidence linking him to any crime."

"Money can make anything happen. You of all people shouldn't discount the possibility of corruption," Jane said. "The Blake Association was an unusually extensive example, but it wasn't the only type of corruption in law enforcement."

Abbott looked around the table at each of them, then back at Jane. "All right. Fischer tells me you want to fake your death."

"Yes. I'm just a distraction. Once I'm out of the way, the real plan will become apparent."

"And how exactly are you planning to do that? Something showy and public, I assume? I won't approve any explosions," Abbott warned.

"Meh. I dislike explosions. I've been in two, one of which blinded me for days. I was thinking of a shooting. Somewhere public but not crowded where we can control the scene. We can plan more exactly when we catch our next case."

"Already done," Abbott said. "Break-in at a federal data center in Arkansas. Security cameras weren't tampered with but show nothing. Thief made off with several hard drives containing sensitive information."

"Wonderful," Jane said, rubbing his hands together. "It sounds like the perfect place to die."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews! Writing this is what's getting me through the hiatus so it's nice to know other people are enjoying my therapy. :) And to the guest reviewer who asked me if I really think it's Volker: I think he makes a great, plausible suspect, which is why so many of us have fixed on him in our stories. But I don't mind admitting that I hope to be surprised by the show. I was shocked by Red John's identity, so it wouldn't be the first time!

**Chapter 7**

It took some time to arrange their travel, since they were mindful of the possibility of attack. Cho napped on Jane's couch while Lisbon reviewed the case file and Fischer caught up on paperwork. Jane decided to look at the security footage from the data center, since an inside job seemed likely. Fortunately Cho's computer was available, and Wiley helped him get started.

When he looked up to rest his eyes and saw Lisbon's empty seat, he realized she'd been gone longer than getting a refill in the break room warranted. He also realized his tea was cold, so he got up and headed in that direction. Pausing outside the door when he heard Lisbon's voice, he soon realized what was taking her so long.

"Marcus," she said softly, her voice tinged with exasperation. Jane had heard her say his own name like that a hundred times, but never anyone else's, and he found he didn't like it.

"I know, I know," Marcus said. "You're with Jane now. I get it. I'm just saying, if he screws up, I'll be here."

"I don't want you to put your life on hold. You're a great guy. You deserve to find someone else. Someone who can love you with all her heart."

"I don't want someone else. Look, I know you feel like you have to give this a try. You have all that history together. But from what I can see, Jane's not long-term material. Sooner or later you'll be ready to move on, and I'll be here when you do."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Lisbon said, her snark tempered with humor.

"You're a strong, intelligent woman, Teresa. He's controlling and manipulative, and I think one day you'll wake up and wonder, 'What am I doing with this guy?' When that happens, give me a call. Meanwhile, I just want you to remember that I care about you, and I'm here for you. I hope we can at least be friends."

"Of course," Lisbon said warmly.

Jane would have applauded Marcus' approach if he weren't so annoyed by it. To make matters worse, Marcus seemed to really mean what he was saying, so this wasn't just a calculated move. Why couldn't he be a cad? That would have made things so much easier, Jane reflected. But no, Marcus was a nice guy who cared about Lisbon, so it was high time Jane interrupted this conversation before things got confused again.

He rounded the corner into the doorway in time to see Marcus lean in for a kiss. Lisbon turned her head so he caught her cheek instead of her lips, but she ruined Jane's moment of satisfaction by planting a kiss on Marcus' cheek too.

"Am I interrupting?" Jane inquired innocently, heading for the electric kettle he'd installed and filling it with water.

"No," Marcus said. He left the room calmly without further comment. Jane reluctantly admired his cool.

Lisbon looked defiant, her cheeks rosy with guilt. "How long were you listening?" she demanded.

"Oh, I just came in for the last act," Jane said breezily. "Nicely done. I suppose I can't blame you for keeping him in reserve, given how often I've disappointed you in the past. But I can't say I enjoyed seeing you kiss him."

"On the cheek, Jane," she snapped. "Like friends do."

"Oh? I wonder what other Texan customs I've overlooked? You should have told me sooner, Lisbon," he said, pouring the water into his teacup and dunking his tea bag. "I fear I've come across as unfriendly. I shall have to remedy that."

Fischer happened to walk into the room then, apparently in search of more coffee. As she poured some into her mug, Jane asked, "Any word on our departure?"

"Working on it. There's a flight at one; we're getting permission to bypass the security checkpoint," she replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. How are you? Slept well, I trust?"

"Uh, yeah," Fischer said, looking wary.

"Good, good." Jane planted a kiss on her cheek and left the room with his teacup in hand, not glancing back to see Fischer's befuddlement.

He did, however, hear her ask Lisbon, "What was that?"

Jane paused long enough to hear Lisbon say in an annoyed tone, "Just ignore him."

He reclaimed Cho's desk, grimacing at how uncomfortable the chair was. Starting the video back up, he sipped his tea, managing not to spill it when Lisbon smacked him on the shoulder.

"You're such a child," she hissed.

"Merely making a point," he replied.

She rolled her eyes and took a seat at her desk, opening the case file again. Jane watched the video long enough to finish his tea, rewound it to confirm his observations, then made a decision. Getting up, he went over to Lisbon's desk and made himself comfortable in her guest chair. He very much missed the days when they could seek refuge in the privacy of her office and wondered how long it would take her to rise to a level the FBI deemed worthy of one. It was, he felt, inevitable. At least in any rational world.

"I'm contemplating a change of plan," he announced.

"Oh?" She glanced at him.

"Yes. I've decided to die here, now that there's no need to go to Arkansas."

"You've solved the case? Already?"

"I have indeed." He smiled, not bothering to hide his smugness.

Lisbon gave him a skeptical look. "Without even leaving the building."

"Yes."

"Or reading the case file."

"Meh." He waved a hand dismissively. "Since when do I read case files? I have you for that."

"Right." She folded her arms. "Who did it?"

"The janitor."

Lisbon flipped through the file. "The janitor? The one person on the video with absolutely no training or expertise in computer hardware?"

"Precisely. Wiley," Jane called.

"Yeah?" Wiley looked nervous, as if worried he was being set up as the butt of a joke.

"How much expertise does it take to pull a server hard drive and replace it?"

"Well, it depends on the server and the configuration. In a RAID array, it's—"

Jane cut him off. "It's something you could teach anyone to do? Me, perhaps?"

"Uh, well, yeah, if you wanted to learn," Wiley said, looking confused.

"Of course," Jane said, looking at Lisbon again, "it's not the janitor we need to be interested in, but the person who recruited him for this scheme. You should look for a new pattern in the janitor's life."

Fischer approached, obviously spotting the signs that they were onto something. "No need to go to Arkansas," Jane announced. "All the local field office has to do is find the person who trained and paid the janitor to swap out the hard drives."

While Fischer gaped, Lisbon demanded, "Since when are you such a computer expert?"

"If you'll recall, the desk closest to my couch at the dear old CBI was Grace's. I was bound to pick a few things up from listening to her all day." Jane allowed himself to sound nostalgic, because he was.

Lisbon looked wistful for a moment, until Fischer said incredulously, "The janitor? How did he get the drives out past the security check?"

"He threw them away, of course, safely encased in plastic, I assume. Doubtless the conspiracy included one or more employees of the trash service."

"A conspiracy," Fischer said, a little less dubiously.

"Yes. This was too complex for one individual to pull off by himself. Or herself. Yes, I'd look for a woman. It has a devious subtlety to it, distinctly feminine."

Now both Fischer and Lisbon were glaring at him. Jane decided it was time to change the subject. "And now that I've taken care of that, we can discuss my final arrangements. I'm thinking a sniper during my lunch break."

"Too likely to cause panic," Fischer said. "Mugging gone wrong gets my vote."

Jane gave her a pained look. "My brilliant career cut short by an ordinary mugger? How...pedestrian."

"We won't put it on your tombstone," Fischer joked dryly.

Lisbon glanced down, a crease forming between her eyebrows. Jane replied, "Oh, this won't go on long enough to get a tombstone. Where would you like to kill me off, Agent Fischer? The taco truck? The deli on the corner? Not my diner, please. I want to be able to go back there."

"I'll check with Abbott," Fischer said, moving off.

Jane reached across the desk to tap Lisbon's folded hands with a finger. "Hey."

"What?" She looked up at him, having regained her poker face.

"I don't really care what happens to my body after I die," he said softly. "You know I don't believe in an afterlife. I just think it would look natural for you to bury me with my family, given that we haven't been together long."

"Of course. We don't need to talk about this, Jane," she said, her eyes on the case file she'd already read twice.

"But I want to. In case you have to decide for real someday. Right now, when we're not an established couple, I want to be buried with my family. I want you to go on with your life and leave me in your past. But five or ten or forty years from now, I want to be buried wherever you find it easiest. Or just cremate me and put me on the mantle. Whatever will comfort you while you're grieving." He covered her hand with his. "I want to be buried with my wife. But I'd like it to be my second wife."

She blinked at him, eyes wide. "Jane," she said in a strained whisper. "We've been together two days. You can't—"

"We've been together far longer than that, Lisbon, but relax. This isn't a proposal. More a declaration of intent." He kept his tone light but let her see in his eyes how serious he was.

She held his gaze for a long moment before breaking it. "Brave words for a dead man," she said finally.

He grinned.

mmm

Things went exactly according to plan, for once, Jane reflected as he lay on the sidewalk covered in fake blood from a supposed stabbing, eyes closed. There was a lot of screaming, even though he could hear that Fischer and Cho had cuffed the agent from another office they'd recruited to play the mugger, since he was in town for an unrelated matter.

Lisbon was kneeling beside him, searching for a pulse. He could feel her hands shaking a little as she touched him and mentally applauded her dedication to the illusion. Of course, it helped that he must look pretty bad.

"Jane. Jane!" Her voice was shaking too. "Can you hear me? Jane, please, answer me!"

Cho must have come over to help. "Ambulance is on its way. How is he?"

"I can't—" Lisbon's voice broke.

Cho's fingers dug into the side of Jane's neck. "Damn."

"No," Lisbon moaned. Then she laid her bloody hands on his chest and let out a gasping sob.

Jane's entire body wanted to twitch with the imperative to comfort her. Keeping still took every ounce of willpower he could muster. The downside to this plan began to occur to him as Lisbon collapsed on his chest, weeping piteously. "Don't leave me," she pleaded. "You promised! You promised me, Jane!"

She was doing this to punish him for kissing Kim, he decided. Of course she would choose now to discover her acting ability. Did she not realize she was making it extremely difficult for him to breathe imperceptibly?

Jane stifled a sigh of relief as her weight lifted from him. He guessed that Cho had pulled her off him and decided to extend his friend's couch privileges indefinitely.

He'd never heard Lisbon really cry before, but this sounded painfully authentic. If Volker's hit man was nearby, he'd have quite a report to give his boss. Hell, he was probably shooting a video of it on his phone.

Jane wished he'd been able to score a paralytic drug, because it was taking all his willpower not to give Lisbon a sign he was fine. He had never really analyzed how deeply her emotions affected him, but apparently the effect was strong enough to subvert his normally implacable determination to achieve his goal.

He was relieved when the ambulance arrived and he was loaded into it, though Lisbon's tearful protests that she wanted to go with him were heart-rending. Cho must have thought so too, because a moment later she was in the ambulance with him, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Nicely done," Jane murmured as he opened his eyes. Then he blinked.

He'd seen Lisbon hurt, sick, and shell-shocked and covered in blood in the aftermath of Bosco's shooting, but he'd never seen her like this. Her eyes were red and puffy, there was snot dripping out of her nose, and one whole side of her face was covered in fake blood except where her tears had washed it away. It was matting her lovely hair on that side of her head, too. And the look in her eyes was one of utter desolation.

"Teresa," he breathed, trying to sit up. He was belted to the stretcher, though, so he had to settle for laying a hand on her cheek.

She managed a smile for him. "I'm okay. You look like hell."

"Pretty good for a dead guy," the EMT, who of course had been briefed by Fischer, grinned. "I have some wipes if you want to clean up, ma'am."

"No, thanks," she said, never taking her eyes off Jane. "I need to look like a mess to pull things off at the hospital. Abbott's tipping off the press in case the hit man wasn't there for the mugging."

Jane offered, "I can lie still and not talk if it'll help you stay in character."

"Ha, ha. I take it you have notes, as usual?"

"No. You sounded extremely convincing. I was touched," he admitted.

"See? I can keep a secret," she said triumphantly. "All that lying to Abbott about hearing from you was good practice."

He didn't have the heart to tell her that he suspected Abbott had seen right through her and surveilled her, leading to discovery of his letters. He'd always known it was a possibility, and in the end it had brought him home. "Congratulations," he said.

"So you have no reason to keep things from me anymore. Like where this safe house is that you're going to hide out in."

"On the contrary, I still have a reason to keep things to myself: It's more fun that way."

Lisbon smacked his arm. "Fun, huh?"

He didn't want to provoke her further, so he said, "I promise, I'll be in touch. Tonight."

"No, Jane, it's too risky. You can't expose yourself."

"Don't worry. Everything's arranged." He squeezed her arm.

"I can't believe you're trusting the FBI and not me." Her pout was devastatingly effective when she was already tear-streaked and puffy eyed.

"That's not what's happening. You'll see." He took her hand in his. "When we get to the hospital, Jimmy here will sneak me out of the ER in disguise, while you go out to the waiting room and mourn me until the media get there. Cho will come along to relieve you when he can. The two of you need to stick together for safety. Promise me, Lisbon."

She rolled her eyes. "That makes no sense if we're both targets."

"Yes, it does. It makes you irresistible. They'll assume we thought I was the target all along and now that I'm dead, you're unprotected. Cho's an old friend, so he's naturally the person you'd turn to in your grief. The hit man will think he's getting a two-for-one special. He won't know you're both on your guard."

"I know you already talked Fischer into this, because she has my house under surveillance," she said. "So why are you bothering to talk me into it?"

He smiled. "Because you, my dear, are the star of this little play. And also because your opinions matter to me."

She scoffed. "Since when?"

"Since always. But I confess I've become more aware of the need to act like it in the past few weeks."

She rolled her eyes but said, "Fine. I'll stay with Cho. Happy?"

"Yes. Thank you." He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. Soon afterward, the ambulance pulled up to the ER entrance, and Jane murmured, "Showtime."

Lisbon sighed, then bent to press her lips to his and whisper, "You were the love of my life, you know."

Jane smiled as she drew the blanket up over his face.

mmm

Jane had never used his emergency key to Lisbon's house, a snug bungalow set underneath some lovely trees, since he'd been trying not to piss her off while convincing her to commit to him. But after he let himself in the back door and guessed her security system code on the first try, he took a moment to savor the luxury of being alone in her space. He'd be able to snoop to his heart's content, which was good because he needed something to occupy the time before Lisbon got home.

First, he needed a shower. Then he thought he'd try Lisbon's bed for a nap, which he sorely needed after the weekend he'd had. Then he'd see what was available in her kitchen to cook her for dinner. Which reminded him that he needed to draw all the blinds. Whoever was after Lisbon was doubtless watching her right now, but after she got home, both the spy and the FBI would be watching the house.

He followed through with the first part of his plan, but after taking the pain medication for his arm and crawling into Lisbon's surprisingly luxurious sheets naked, he fell into a deep sleep. He didn't wake until he heard the front door open, noticing that night had fallen.

"Thank God," Lisbon groaned. "I'm going to get a shower. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen."

Cho replied, "I'm good, thanks. I'll just read."

Jane grinned in anticipation as he heard Lisbon climb the stairs. When she reached the bedroom, she closed the door behind her and flipped on the light, shrugging out of her bloody jacket. She looked exhausted and disheveled, but when she caught sight of him her hand flew to her weapon as if she were on high alert. "Shit!" she exclaimed as she recognized him.

Cho must have practically flown up the stairs; he burst through the door gun first.

Jane grinned, sitting up and letting the covers fall to his waist. "Hey, Cho."

Cho holstered his gun. "Hey, Jane. Fischer know you're here?"

"No. I figured the last FBI safe house wasn't so safe, so I'd be better off here. Plus, the ambiance is much better."

"Uh huh. Didn't you bring any clothes?"

Jane glanced down at his bare chest. "Meh. I can't go out, so what do I need clothes for?"

Lisbon recovered from her shock. "Jane, this wasn't the plan. You were supposed to stay out of trouble!"

"And who better to keep me out of trouble than you?"

She rolled her eyes. "This is where the hit man's going to come next, if your theory is correct. I'd say trouble is inevitable. Unless you were lying about that?"

"I wasn't. But I'm confident you and Cho can handle things. There's no one I'd rather entrust my safety to." He smiled at them, confident his logic was unassailable.

Cho turned to Lisbon. "Let me know if you need help moving the body." Then he left.

Lisbon let out a sigh. Jane said, "I'm hurt you're not happy to see me, Lisbon. It's not every day the love of your life comes back to you from the dead."

"Which is why I want to minimize the chances of you dying," she pointed out. She came over to the bed to give him a peck on the lips, then said, "I need a shower. Behave."

"I'll keep the bed warm for you," he offered, which made her smile despite herself. She looked at him for a moment more, no doubt memorizing the sight of him in her bed, then went into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her but didn't lock it, he noted happily.

With his arm hurt, he wasn't up to shower sex, so he regretfully refrained from joining her. Instead, he turned on her clock radio and found a jazz station, setting the volume high enough to mask any sounds they might make. Since Cho was on watch, he couldn't put headphones on, but there was no need for him to hear them making love.

Jane really wanted to wrap this whole Volker thing up so he and Lisbon could have some privacy. He had an increasing desire to make her scream. The thought made his heart rate increase, but he purposely didn't let himself picture her in the shower. He didn't want to get too far ahead of her, after all.

He beamed at her in delight when she emerged in nothing but a plush robe, damp hair curling softly around her shoulders and smelling irresistible. "You really were amazing today," he told her, because he knew she'd appreciate the compliment after all the teasing and criticism she'd received from him on her acting.

She shrugged, causing the robe to fall open a little and expose more of the shadowed valley between her breasts. "It wasn't hard. All I had to do was pretend it was real." She settled on the edge of the bed, then reached out to run her fingertips lightly over his chest, making him shiver with want. "I can't lose you again, Jane. Not ever, but especially not now, not when we've just gotten started."

"I will do my very best to stay with you at all times," he replied.

"I'm serious. You're so careless with yourself. Sneaking away from your safe house to come here and be in the line of fire is dangerous, Jane! You have to be more careful. You owe that to me."

"Yes, I do," he admitted, capturing her hand and pressing a kiss against the inside of her wrist. "And I will be careful. I just want to be careful in your presence when at all possible."

She shook her head. "You'll do what you always do: exactly what you want. You don't care what I want."

"That's not true. I do care what you want, Teresa. In fact, I'll prove it to you. While we're hidden away here, I'll do whatever you want."

"Even if what I want is for you to go back to the safe house?" she challenged.

"If that's what you really want, yes. At this point that's not a realistic option, though."

"What if I kick you out of my bed and make you sleep in the guest room?"

"I won't like it, but I will." No chance of that either, he knew.

"You're so full of shit," she said, not fooled for a minute.

"I'll prove it to you." He got out of bed, standing naked and erect in front of her. "Down the hall to the left, I assume?"

Her eyes roved up and down him, pupils huge, the tip of her tongue darting out to moisten her plump bottom lip. He felt himself grow harder watching her drink him in. They hadn't had a chance to really look at each other yet, he realized, trying to be subtle about sucking in his gut a little. But he needn't have worried; that wasn't what she was most interested in.

"Lie down," she ordered, standing up so he could more easily get back in bed.

He obeyed, lying flat on his back on top of the covers and waiting for her next move. Years of observation had led him to conclude she would be assertive, even aggressive, in bed with a man she was comfortable with. She might even go all dom on him given her need for control, especially now when they were at risk and she felt stressed.

But she surprised him, sitting on the edge of the bed again and reaching for his face instead of his cock. She stroked his cheek tenderly. "Do you really love me?" she asked softly.

He held her gaze, willing her to see his sincerity. "I love you as completely, as madly, as it is possible for a man to love a woman. Until my heart stops, every beat will be for you."

She blinked, a little misty eyed at that. "And you won't leave me."

It wasn't quite a question, but he answered it anyway. "Never again."

"And you'll stop being so ridiculously jealous?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "That, I can't promise. I'm a jealous man, Teresa. If you ever want to leave me you'd better be prepared for a long struggle. If you ever want to be good buddies with any man besides Rigsby and Cho, he'd better be gay, married, or a eunuch. I want to come first with you. And I promise you will always come first with me."

"That'll make a nice change," she said dryly. She laid her palm on his chest and began moving it down his ribcage with excruciating slowness. "I'm surprised, Jane. You're so arrogant about everything else. Why so threatened by other men? You know I've been in love with you for years."

"Sometimes love isn't enough," he said. "Especially stacked up against all the times I've hurt you. I may be arrogant, but I'm not stupid. I know you are worthy of a much better man. I'm trying to be that for you, but we both know I'm a creature of habit. I'm afraid Marcus is right and that one day you'll wake up and wonder why you're putting up with me."

"Too late. I've been doing that for years," she smiled. "You know what the answer is?"

"What?" He was genuinely curious.

She leaned down to kiss him. "Because you are a much better man than you realize. Do you think I fall in love with every arrogant jerk who comes into my office asking about a case?" She got to her feet, untied her robe, and let it fall to the floor. Jane barely had time to take in the glorious sight before she climbed onto the bed, breasts swaying gracefully, and impaled herself on him.

He cried out at the intensity of her, the searing heat and grip of her body combined with the sheer beauty of her rising above him, eyes glazed with passion, lips parted, sleek muscles moving under pale skin. The physical and emotional impact was overwhelming, and he struggled even to breathe.

Lisbon gave a half-sigh, half-hum of pleasure that nearly did him in, and he lifted his good arm to where their bodies were joined, searching out her clit with two of his fingers. She gasped and sped up her rhythm, then grasped his wrist. "Not so fast," she panted. "I want slow."

"And I want to give you slow," he managed to say. "But I'm out of practice. We may have to work up to slow. I'm a little...overstimulated."

She gave him a big, toothy smile. "Are you saying I'm too much for you to handle?' She squeezed her muscles around his cock as she teased him.

He gave a hoarse cry. "Yes," he gasped.

She leaned down to kiss him. "Mm. I guess your sexual prime was a while ago. Too bad I'm still in mine."

"You are a cruel, cruel woman, Teresa Lisbon," he moaned as she straightened back up, the change in angle sending a jolt of pleasure up his spine.

"Aw, poor baby. Let me help you out." She cupped her breasts in her hands and let out a long, throaty moan.

Jane was forced to close his eyes. The sight of her squeezing those delicious mounds he'd so enjoyed feasting on the other night was seriously damaging his control. Her gentle laughter at his predicament didn't help his Herculean effort not to embarrass himself. He needed to distract himself or hurry her along, or both.

"I want to do this every night," he whispered, opening his eyes and keeping them locked on hers. "You feel amazing. You're so beautiful. Sometimes it would break my heart to look at you and know I couldn't have you. You just kept getting more beautiful as the years went by, and I started to dream about running away with you, just forgetting everything that was keeping us apart and hiding away somewhere we could make love all night and tease each other all day. I wish I'd done it. Would you, if I'd asked?"

"Yes," she breathed, her eyes glittering down at him.

"All that wasted time," he lamented. He knew that while in the throes of his obsession, he hadn't been capable of running away, but he still regretted the years they'd lost. And he thought she was probably romanticizing their past selves as well. But what mattered was their future. "Let's never waste another minute."

"Uh huh." She was getting close, he thought, if she was losing the ability to form actual words. He let himself start thrusting up into her more insistently, relived when she followed his new rhythm without protest.

"Do you want to be engaged or can we just elope?" he asked breathlessly.

A strangled sound came out of her mouth that might have started with an "e." Jane decided to move on. "Babies? I know we're getting up there but you'd look so pretty all round and ripe—"

He broke off with a shout as she threw her head back and spasmed around him, gritting his teeth to keep thrusting through her orgasm. Finally she collapsed on his chest and he let himself go, shoving as deep as he could and shooting what felt like a gallon into her.

They lay in a panting, boneless heap for a minute. Then Lisbon slid off him, ignoring his whine of protest.

It took her a few more moments to summon the energy to lightly smack his chest. "No serious conversations during sex," she said. "And if you ever propose to me, you better be wearing clothes."

"Noted," he replied, managing to raise his good arm and turn off the radio. Then he grinned. Even if she hadn't held up her end of the conversation, he had learned valuable information.

Their babies were going to be beautiful, brilliant, and stubborn as hell.

mmm

Jane slept heavily, waking only when Lisbon's alarm demanded it. They took a quick shower, pulled on clean clothes, and went downstairs to find Cho already pouring himself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee. He regarded them grimly.

"What is it?" Jane asked him. Lisbon frowned, turning her attention to their colleague instead of the coffeemaker.

"I got a call from Fischer. Tommy Volker was found dead in his cell this morning."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **So, this chapter didn't go at all as I planned. Jane has to have things his own way, of course. No cliffhangers in this one, at least! Thanks for continuing to read this story—I so appreciate all of you!

**Chapter 8**

"What do you mean, he's dead? He can't be." Jane was rarely flummoxed. He didn't like the feeling.

Cho shrugged. "Everybody dies. I'm not crying for him."

"Good riddance," Lisbon agreed. "But does that mean he wasn't the one after us? Is it Blake Association after all?"

Jane shook his head. He wasn't often wrong, especially about things that mattered to him. And nothing mattered to him more than Lisbon's safety. "What confirmation do we have?"

"Fischer didn't say. I guess we'll find out when we get to the office," Cho said.

Jane frowned at Lisbon. "You're going to the office the day after I died?"

"I, um." Lisbon bit her lower lip. He knew she really wanted to go find out what was happening, but she knew perfectly well that if he'd died, she wouldn't be in any shape to work. Which might not stop her from trying, he thought. But she was also aware that saying she'd carry on like his death meant nothing was tantamount to saying she didn't love him, and she didn't want to do that.

"Someone is still out there, for all we know," he pointed out. "We need to work the plan. You stay here, inconsolable, and send Cho to the office to keep you up to date." He turned to Cho. "I want confirmation of Volker's death, from someone we can trust."

"All the people you trust are at risk," Cho pointed out. "Want me to go?"

"No, I want you here. I'll trust Fischer for this. She needs to go see the body, actually lay eyes on it firsthand. I'm not coming back to life until I get that. You tell her that."

Cho folded his arms. "Yes, boss."

Jane rolled his eyes. "Allow me to rephrase. Kimball, my good friend who is in as much danger as I am, would you please request that Agent Fischer go and confirm that the sociopath who wants us all dead is really and permanently deceased? Pretty please?"

"Sure, be glad to." Cho finished his coffee in one long gulp.

"Would you like breakfast first?" Jane offered.

"Nah. All that's in the fridge is something fuzzy, old cartons of Chinese, and beer."

'Hey," Lisbon protested. "I know I have orange juice."

"That's the something fuzzy," Cho replied.

Jane said, "Would it be entirely out of character for you to stop by a grocery store and buy a few necessities for your grieving friend?"

"No. Don't expect me to make a casserole, though. Make a list. I'll come by at lunch to check on you both."

Lisbon said, "That's not necessary."

"It's what I'd do if Jane were really dead," Cho said. "I'll use my regular phone to call the cemetery in Sacramento and see what we'd need to do."

"Good idea," Jane said, hurriedly scribbling a grocery list on the notepad next to the refrigerator. He confined himself to the necessities, so it was only a minute before he handed it to Cho.

"I'll call before I come over," Cho said as he went to the door.

Jane was delighted to see Lisbon blush. "Thanks for everything, Cho."

"Just stay alive until I get back."

When Cho was gone, Jane turned to Lisbon, who was frowning in thought, absorbing this latest twist. He knew he had some thinking to do, but he also didn't want to waste their alone time. The FBI was only keeping eyes on the house, not ears, so this was privacy at last. "Any chance you have something non-perishable we could eat for breakfast?"

"There's cereal. And I think I have some of that milk that doesn't need the refrigerator," she said.

Jane refrained from wrinkling his nose. Since that was all he was going to get, he'd have to eat it. He needed to keep his strength up, after all, if he was going to take advantage of his time alone with Lisbon.

As they sat down to their meager breakfast, which Jane consoled himself he could wash down with tea, Lisbon looked at him skeptically. "What?" he asked.

"Are you suspicious Volker's not dead because you really think he managed to fake his death, or are you just not able to admit you were wrong about him being the one after us?" Lisbon started eating but didn't take her eyes off him.

Jane held up a finger. "One, his death does not necessarily absolve him. It might merely be a case of—"

"Coincidence?"

"Deceptive timing. Two, I can admit when I'm wrong. I simply require evidence that such a rarity has actually occurred before doing so."

"So when Fischer comes back and tells you she saw the corpse, you'll have no trouble discarding your theory?" Lisbon looked amused.

"Well, I'd rather she poke it or kick it or something to make sure it's really a corpse and not a wax figure or a merely unconscious Volker. But yes. However, I'm betting there will have been some kind of mixup at the prison and the body will have been conveniently cremated. Faking my own death was not, I admit, one of my more original ideas. And what better way to escape prison without an annoying manhunt than to make everyone believe you're dead?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it would be to pull that off?" she demanded.

"Having spent some time in prison, yes. It is not impossible, however. And the timing makes sense."

"How so?"

"Because he's ready for the last act in this sick little play. He's hurt you and taken away your best source of comfort. Now he's going to come after you. But he likes to watch in person. For this, he might even be looking forward to doing his own dirty work." The thought of Volker putting his hands on Lisbon opened up a well of rage inside him, like lava boiling up in a volcano. If the man wasn't dead now, he soon would be.

Lisbon scowled. "We need to keep an open mind. This could still be Blake Association."

"Or it could be both," Jane said. "Volker had his own little informant network. I bet it crossed over with the Blake Association to an extent. He could be financing this and using the remains of the Blake Association as his eyes, ears, and hands."

"Possibly." Lisbon mulled it over. "And maybe they arranged his death to protect themselves now that you're dead, which was probably their goal."

"That assumes there's a new leader, someone to make those kinds of calls," Jane pointed out. "Instead of the only survivors being the low-level types who didn't know much and had the sense to keep their heads down while Abbott was dismantling California law enforcement. Do you think it's likely he missed anyone with clout?"

Lisbon thought about it. "Most of the higher-ups couldn't cut a deal fast enough. They knew what prison was going to be like for them, so they were desperate to get as little time as possible. Of course, I only know what I read, pretty much, since nobody in the CBI was involved in the investigations."

"But Ardiles was involved in the prosecutions."

"The early ones. He went into the private sector about six months after the CBI was shut down, when he had some high-profile wins under his belt." She looked sad, and he realized she was still feeling a little guilty over Ardiles' death.

"Eat up, my dear. I have plans for you," he urged.

She shook her head, but he caught her fleeting smile. "You're too old to be this insatiable."

"On the contrary," he said, ignoring the jibe at his age, "I'm deeply in love with a woman who takes great pleasure in reminding me she's still in her sexual prime. I'm also desperate to hang onto her despite her old boyfriend lurking around wanting to be friends. So I intend to make love with you every chance I get."

"Desperate, huh?" She ate another spoonful of cereal, then slid the spoon slowly out of her mouth and turned it upside down, licking it thoroughly.

Jane shivered a little. "Getting more desperate by the minute. Have you had enough coffee to hold you for an hour or so?"

"Not yet," she said, sipping leisurely at her mug. "I'm not convinced you've eaten enough to have an acceptable stamina level."

Jane finished his cereal in four quick bites, then drank his tea. "I'm good to go."

"Don't rush me," Lisbon warned, taking another slow sip of her coffee.

He wondered how long it would take her to grow secure enough in his commitment that she no longer needed to drive him out of his mind with lust. Or maybe she would never get tired of it. He could live with that. Giving his brain some time off would probably be good for him.

"Since we are not currently having sex, I'd like to revisit the question of engagement versus elopement," he said. "Although they're not mutually exclusive."

"And I'd like to remind you that we have been dating for one weekend," she responded.

"What do you deem an acceptable time before we can discuss the subject? I think it's unlikely we will learn much more about each other no matter how long we wait." He was a little discouraged at her attachment to conventional ideas about relationships, but maybe that was his answer.

Lisbon sighed. "In your head, you're already planning what you're getting me for our tenth anniversary, aren't you?"

"Don't be silly. I'm still trying to decide between a tropical honeymoon or a romantic escape to Rome," he smiled.

"Rome," she breathed, eyes sparkling.

Jane grinned. "Excellent. Would you like a traditional diamond solitaire or something more unique? Emeralds, perhaps?"

"Jane." Lisbon abandoned whatever daydream she'd been lost in and regained her practicality. "I think we need to slow down here."

"Twelve years, Lisbon. Snails move faster."

"You spent ten of those years using me to pursue revenge and two of them in another country. And you wore your wedding ring for all of them."

She had a point, he had to admit. "I admit it hasn't been a traditional courtship. But our long friendship and even our work partnership are relevant. We're a strong team with experience resolving disagreements and forgiving shortcomings."

Lisbon let out a sharp "ha!" of disbelief. "Your idea of resolving disagreements is to do whatever the hell you want regardless of what I think."

"I've followed your orders despite my own inclinations several times," he protested.

"Which averages out to less than once a year," she said. "And what shortcomings have you had to forgive?"

She was becoming worked up, and not in a good way, he realized. "I was referring, of course, to your forgiveness of my shortcomings," he lied. "On my side, I would characterize it as adapting to your idiosyncrasies."

"Lying to me is one of your shortcomings I'm not going to keep forgiving," she warned.

"Fine. I'm not the only one who's resolved disagreements with unilateral action. Does a house on West Huron ring any bells?"

Lisbon grimaced. "You're still mad about that?"

He stared at her. "Lisbon, you could have been killed. When Red John called me from your phone, I thought you had been. As far as I knew, you were dead for the time it took me to have your phone located and drive there. Do you have any idea what that was like for me? That our last words were an argument? That you were dead because of me?" He suddenly had to touch her, reaching across the table and clasping her hands in his. "I can't live without you, Lisbon. I can't. I need you to understand that."

Her eyes were full of sympathy. "I guess I never apologized for scaring you. I'm sorry you went through that, Jane. I am. And I'll promise no more unilateral actions if you will."

"I'll try."

She looked like something had just occurred to her. "Is that where all this marriage talk is coming from? Because you think you need to keep me with you?"

"No. I want to marry you because I love you and I want to spend all my time with you. And because I'm a jealous man who wants to be sure I never have to share you again."

"My word isn't enough?" she challenged.

"It would be, if you gave it."

She frowned. "I agreed we're exclusive. That's not enough for you?"

"No. Because exclusive relationships can still end. I want forever."

"I can't..." She broke off, biting her lip. "I can't promise you that. Yet. I can promise to always be your friend and always pick up the phone when you call, but...I'm not ready for a lifelong commitment beyond that."

"And what do you need to be ready?" Overcoming her commitment issues was going to be an uphill battle, he knew.

"Time, Jane. I need time to get used to us being together like this. But while I'm doing that, there won't be anyone else for you to worry about, okay? It's just you, unless we reach a point where we're ready to call it quits."

"Thank you." He got to his feet, tugging on her hands to urge her to stand as well. Then he kissed her, hot and urgent. Pressing her small warm body against him, she pulled her hands free to slide them under his shirt. He quickly pulled hers over her head, unfastening her bra and tossing it aside so he could fasten his lips to one rosy nipple, squeezing the other breast firmly in his hand. She moaned, her hands dropping to his pants, fumbling a bit as he distracted her.

He straightened after a moment to catch his breath, putting his fingers to work stripping off her jeans and panties and then hoisting her up onto the table. Her flushed cheeks and panting breaths told him she was ready, but he slid a finger into her to make sure. She gasped, pushing herself against his hand, so he slid a second finger in and wriggled them around, using his other hand to coax her into lying down on the table. She did so, and a moment later he found the spot he'd been searching for, making her hips come off the table as she cried out.

He waited until she opened her eyes again, then withdrew his fingers and licked them clean. "Mm. I know what I want for breakfast," he said hoarsely. Then he knelt, draping her knees over his shoulders, and gave her a thorough licking that made her sigh luxuriously. When he judged she'd had enough time to recover, he pushed his tongue into her folds until he found her clit, teasing it before wrapping his lips around it and sucking hard. She gave a series of gasping cries, rising in pitch, until he grazed her clit with his teeth. That got him the scream he'd been fantasizing about.

He soothed her through the orgasm with his lips and tongue, then got to his feet, ignoring the way his knees creaked, and pushed his pants and underwear down. His erection sprang free, eager to get in on the action. As he bent to kiss her, his cock brushed her dripping heat, making him groan. "Ready?" he asked her with a grin.

"Oh, yeah," she breathed. "Let me have it."

"Hang on tight," he warned, moving her fingers to the edge of the table so they could curl into a firm grip. He planted his hands on either side of her, bracing himself so he could throw his weight into his thrusts. It was almost too easy to slide into her; after two climaxes she was soaking wet and looser than he remembered. Getting her there a third time was going to take some effort. He took one long, slow stroke, watching her closely.

She looked up at him, wide eyes glowing with love. "It's your turn," she said. "Don't worry about me. Just do what feels good."

He grinned at her. "I love it when you try to read my mind," he teased. "But of all the shortcomings you tolerate in me, my love, a lack of generosity in bed will never be one of them."

"We're not in bed," she pointed out.

"I'm aware. Would you rather I turn you face down and take you from behind? I could go deeper that way." It cost him some effort to keep his voice steady and his thrusts slow.

"Do you want that?" Her pupils were huge.

"Later. I love to watch you come. You're gorgeous all the time, but you're amazing when you come. Like some mythical creature from another world, made to drive men mad if they dare to look at you. Being inside you while you come is like being taken to another plane of existence. I'm like a medieval pilgrim who has plunged into a sacred pool and surfaced permanently transformed, all my disfigurements and infirmities healed, new horizons opening in front of me because I'm no longer an outcast."

A tear crept out of the corner of her eye, descending the graceful curve of her cheek. She sniffed a little, then tried for a joking tone. "Do you sit around thinking this stuff up when you're supposed to be working?"

Jane shook his head. "You could make a poet of any man, Teresa. All great art is transformational, and our lovemaking is a work of art. Someday I hope it will be an act of creation, producing a beautiful new human being to amaze and delight everyone she meets."

Another tear escaped her, and her lips trembled. He was overwhelming her with emotion, he realized. She was so unaccustomed to dealing with these kinds of feelings that he was going to need to ease her into the habit. "However," he continued, "right now I think we should take the time to savor our art. The music of our breathing. The sounds our bodies make as they move together. The scent of each other's skin. The feel of my cock in your sweet, hot depths and the way our movements ignite our nerve endings like lightning. The way you taste like sugar-laden coffee, bitter and sweet at the same time, and I taste like tea, comfort and stimulation mixed together. The sight of your flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, so deep they're like a gateway to another universe, and the happiness on my face, the love in my eyes that only you can ever inspire."

Lisbon moaned, shifting her hips to change the angle and moving her legs up his ribcage. Jane bit his lip and took a step back, stifling a groan as he pulled out of her so he could haul her legs over his shoulders, then plunging back inside her, bending her nearly double. He could go deeper in this position, bottoming out against her cervix and relishing the little hiccuping cry she gave each time he did.

"I want to know every inch of you," he panted. "I won't hold anything back. I'm all yours. Forever. Nothing can change that."

Sweat dripped into his eyes. He'd have a stroke if he didn't let himself come soon. She was getting close, but she wasn't there yet.

"I want to give you everything. I want to make you feel things you've never felt before."

She gasped, "You do. Oh! There's so much. Too much."

"Then let some of it out, love," he urged.

"I love you," she whispered, her eyes wet and wide. "I love you so much."

"I love you," he gasped. "Your sharp mind and your beautiful body but most of all, your big, warm heart." He let out a groan of near-agony.

"Come for me," Lisbon urged. "Just let go. I've got you. Come on, sweetie, just—"

Jane threw his head back and let out a hoarse shout as he erupted into her. The defeat tinting his ecstasy lifted as he felt her come again, milking him dry as she gave a series of little high-pitched gasps, letting go of the table and reaching for him with trembling hands. He leaned heavily on his hands, exhausted, as she struggled to sit up, trying to slide her arms around his neck. Finally he managed to stand, his wounded arm screaming in pain as he relieved the strain on it, and used his good arm to reach for a chair. Lisbon clung to him tightly as he moved his arm to hold her in place and sank into the chair, bringing her down to straddle his lap.

They sat that way for a minute or two, catching their breaths. Jane felt his shoulder gradually becoming wet and rubbed Lisbon's back to soothe her. "It's okay," he whispered into her ear, then pressed a kiss behind it.

At last she leaned back, wiping at her eyes and managing a trembling smile. "I didn't know I had that in me. I've never come that much before."

He grinned proudly. "We're just getting started." He rubbed a thumb across her cheek. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just...I didn't realize. When people would say it was different with someone you love, I thought they were fooling themselves, being sentimental. But it is different. There's a dimension to it I didn't expect."

"Yes," he agreed. "It's more profound. Beyond the purely physical." He remembered when he'd learned that lesson, realizing why sex with Angela was so different than all the flings he'd had with townie girls in his teen years. He was a little surprised Lisbon hadn't had this epiphany with Greg. But she'd been a good girl, he bet, and probably not very experienced when she'd broken off her engagement. Greg might even have been her first, and she'd only had casual flings since.

Nobody could give her this except him, he thought. Nobody else would ever love her this deeply or know her this well. As long as he provided regular reminders of that, he'd have no reason to be jealous anymore. But that probably wouldn't stop him from wanting to punch any man who came sniffing around.

"We should get up," she murmured. "We'll start to stick together soon."

"I could use a nap," he agreed.

Lisbon chuckled, kissing him lightly. "You've earned one."

mmm

They were rested, cleaned up, and, at least on Jane's part, starving by the time Cho showed up, carrying several bags of groceries. "I didn't order this," Jane said, looking at the half-dozen pints of ice cream in one bag.

"Grief food," Cho said. "I got Kleenex and Tylenol PM too."

"Good thinking," Lisbon said, starting to put things in cupboards. "Thanks. Let me know what I owe you."

"Receipt's in the bag," Cho replied.

Lisbon dug it out and set it carefully on the counter. "Anyone following you?"

"Not that I could see. Fischer's on her way to California. Took some convincing, but Abbott said he didn't trust anybody in the prison system there so he'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Good," Jane said. "You staying here again tonight?"

"Think I'll go home, get some sleep. Lisbon wouldn't let me hang out more than a day if this was real," Cho said. "Fischer'll call my burner when she's seen Volker's body. I'll call Lisbon's."

"Thanks," Lisbon said.

Cho turned to her. "Wiley and I are working on our past cases, cross referenced with Ardiles' cases, trying to see where there might be a Blake Association connection. Could be a relative out for revenge. We're looking into who lost the most and if anybody died in prison."

"Good. Let me know if I can help."

"You can help by keeping your eyes open in case whoever it is comes after you. Abbott thinks it'll be soon, and if they don't, it means Jane was the target after all. We'll give it a couple of days and then head for Sacramento for the burial."

"Okay."

"And Pike wants to know if he can come see you. I told him you wouldn't be up to visitors for a while, but he'll probably call you. Abbott doesn't want to tell anybody outside our unit that Jane's still alive."

Lisbon sighed. "Right. Thanks for the heads up."

Cho turned back to Jane, who was inspecting the green leaf lettuce with a pained expression. "I asked for romaine."

"What's the difference?" Cho asked. "You gonna feed us or not?"

"How long've you got?" Jane asked.

"As long as I need to console my devastated friend. I brought cards."

"Then have a seat," Lisbon invited, gesturing to the freshly scrubbed table and chairs.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter! Now back to the plot. More or less. :)

**Chapter 9**

They were finished eating and wrapping up a hand of poker when they were startled by a knock on the door. Cho and Lisbon got up, hands on weapons, exchanging a look.

"Relax," Jane said. "Assassins don't knock."

"Hide," Lisbon hissed at him.

"I'll get it," Cho said.

"I'll be right here." Lisbon sat back down, shooing Jane with one hand and scooping up the cards with the other.

Jane reluctantly went into the little room Lisbon apparently intended to turn into an office someday, but for now had a desk and chair with boxes stacked all over the place. He'd be able to hear everything in the living room, and he could sneak a peek into the dining room through the mostly closed door if he wanted. If the visitor was someone boring, he could amuse himself with some quiet snooping.

"Pike. Hey." Cho sounded unwelcoming, but Jane wished he'd gone for threatening instead.

"Hey, Cho. Is Teresa up for a quick visit? I promise I won't overstay my welcome," Marcus said.

Lisbon called, "Come in, Marcus. But I warn you, I'm terrible company right now." She sounded tearful, and Jane wondered if she'd pinched herself or something to get the effect.

"Teresa." Marcus' voice became clearer as he walked into the dining room. Jane risked a peek and scowled at the tasteful arrangement of purple iris and white lilies their visitor was carrying. "I'm so sorry."

Cho said, "If you're okay here, I'd better head back to the office. I'll call you later, okay, Teresa?"

"Thanks, Kimball. I really appreciate everything," she replied, getting up and hugging him. Jane noted with amusement that Cho returned the hug but pulled back quickly, obviously uncomfortable. When he was gone, Lisbon reached for the flowers and set the vase on the table. "Thank you, Marcus. It's sweet of you."

"How are you doing? Stupid question, I know. You lost your partner. God, I can't even imagine what that's like. Especially when you'd just gotten together." Marcus was babbling; Jane rolled his eyes.

"We had so little time." Lisbon's voice had a very convincing quaver that tugged at Jane's heart. "He died in my arms, Marcus."

"I know. God, Teresa, I'm sorry." Marcus stepped forward and hugged her.

Jane silently urged Lisbon to step back about ten times before she actually did, wiping at her eyes. She gestured for Marcus to sit down, to Jane's chagrin, but at least she sat across the table instead of beside him.

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm here to listen. Or not. Whatever you need." Marcus sounded earnest and uncertain.

_Tell him I'm the love of your life_, Jane prompted Lisbon mentally.

"Do you want something to drink? Coffee?" she offered. Jane stifled a groan.

"No, no. Don't go to any trouble. I want to help."

"Keeping busy helps."

"Is that why you and Cho were playing cards? Do you want to play some more?"

The man was like a puppy desperately doing tricks to try to make its mistress smile, Jane thought.

"No, thanks." Lisbon had to be aware that she needed to get him to leave, but she wasn't betraying any sign of it. "I just...I wish I could go to work. But everything there would remind me of him. I'm afraid I'd burst into tears at the sight of that couch."

"You probably would," Marcus said. "People have been leaving flowers and little stuffed animals there. Abbott threatens to throw them out but I think he knows people need to grieve somehow. I hear the funeral will be in Sacramento?"

"Yes. Jane would want to be buried with his family. I'm going to take him there as soon as I can. He didn't have any family left."

"Do you need someone to go with you? I can ask for time off."

"Thank you. But Cho is going with me. We'll meet up with Rigsby and Van Pelt there. We were a family, so we'll grieve together." She sniffled. "Are people really leaving things on his couch? They miss him too?"

Jane listened intently. He'd made an effort to be friendly around the office, partly to make things more comfortable for Lisbon. But he wasn't aware he had admirers. Well, other than the women who'd found him a scenic addition to their environment. Ugh, that explained the stuffed animals.

"Yeah. I guess so. I mean, we all feel it when an agent goes down. I know Jane wasn't an agent, but he was one of us all the same. Even those of us who didn't know him very well are sorry he's gone." Marcus reached over to take her hand. "I wish I'd gotten to know him better, because for you to love him that much, he must've been one hell of a guy."

Jane reflected that he'd be happy to see that Marcus got his wish, if only so he'd realize that Lisbon was taken. Permanently.

Lisbon gave a watery chuckle. "That's one way to put it. There's nobody else like him, that's for sure."

Especially in bed, Jane thought smugly.

"How did you two meet?"

Lisbon sighed. "He came to the CBI to ask about progress on the Red John case. I told him I couldn't discuss it, so he incited one of my agents to punch him. My boss was afraid he'd sue the bureau, so he made me give him access to the files. He was...not the man you met. He was lost and grieving and looked like he was living in a cardboard box." She paused. "He told me I had a nice name. I tried to talk him out of pursuing the case but he wouldn't listen. That was the first time he ever hugged me, when I told him to remember I tried to talk him out of it."

Jane smiled at the memory. He hadn't known then what she would come to mean to him, but he'd sensed she was a good, kindhearted woman who would be a valuable ally, witting or unwitting. She was his best path to Red John, and he'd resolved to use all his charm and wit to keep her on his side.

Looking back over all the times he'd manipulated and used her from that moment to this, he had to admit Lisbon's hesitation about committing to him made sense. But he was trying to do better. He had been doing better. Damn it, the last thing he needed was for Marcus to drag Lisbon down memory lane and remind her of what a jerk he'd been to her sometimes.

"What's your favorite story about him?" Marcus asked.

The man would be diabolical if he weren't so clueless, Jane thought.

"Oh," Lisbon said. "I wouldn't know how to choose."

"Favorite memory, then. Something that makes you smile."

Lisbon was silent for a moment. "He got me a pony for my birthday. The team got me gifts and he forgot, or didn't think he should, or something. He claimed his gift was on its way but I didn't believe him. He teased me about it all through the case we were working on, and then somehow—I still have no idea how—he snuck a pony into my office! God, the mess. Fortunately he'd only rented it so I didn't have to find a home for it. But it was adorable. And just like Jane—extravagant and outrageous."

That was better, Jane thought. Her smile when she'd seen the pony had been worth every penny it had cost him.

"He loved surprises. He once resurfaced after six months of silence by crawling on his hands and knees halfway across my church so he could scare the crap out of me while I was praying."

Oh, not such a good memory, he thought, since that had led to Lorelei. And also his botched confession of love. He winced a little.

"Mischievous, huh?" Marcus said.

"That's one word for it. He could also be very sweet, though. He must have spent a small fortune buying me pastries over the years. And he always tried to cheer me up when I was feeling down."

"Pastry, huh? Sweets for the sweet."

Laying it on thick, Jane thought. He hoped Marcus wasn't going to start bringing Lisbon bear claws in the mornings. That was his job.

"He was always telling me I should eat eggs for breakfast. And he tried so hard to get me to drink tea instead of coffee. We were very different people."

"You must have had things in common."

"The job, mostly. But he loved jazz like I do." Lisbon appeared to be searching for more things to say. "He had a real appreciation for nature, the ability to find joy in the little things. Oh, and he always bought me strawberries in season. He loved fruit, and he was always trying to get me to eat healthy."

"Sounds like he really cared about you."

"He did. He didn't always show it, but he did," Lisbon said, sounding choked up. "Marcus, I'm sorry, it was really sweet of you to come over, but I just really need to be alone right now."

"Of course. I'll go." Marcus got to his feet. "Just promise you'll call me if you need anything, okay? Anything at all."

"I promise. Thanks." She walked him to the door, where Jane couldn't see. From the lack of talking, he surmised they were hugging. For a long time. Was Lisbon torturing him on purpose?

At long last the front door closed, and Jane emerged, intent on pulling Lisbon into his arms. She didn't resist, but he noted in disapproval that she now smelled like Marcus' trendy body spray. Jane wrinkled his nose.

"No comments on my performance?" she asked, pulling back. He reluctantly let her go, wondering if he could convince her to shower before bed.

"Beautifully done, my dear. Though I'm somewhat dismayed that you think we only have jazz and fruit in common."

"And our long history of putting bad guys away," she added. "I couldn't think of anything else. It's not like we've done a lot outside of work."

"We both love to play poker," he pointed out.

"But I hate playing with you. You always see through my bluff," she replied.

"You think we need to find a hobby together? I'm game. What do you suggest? Corn-holing? Pool? We'd clean up with you distracting the marks and my expert cue handling." He grinned at the thought. Of course, Lisbon in a tiny dress with high heels would probably end up distracting him just as much as the marks.

"No cons," she said firmly.

"Square dancing? Do they still do that?"

"I think line dancing is what most people do. I wouldn't mind seeing you shake your cute ass on the dance floor." She smiled as he obligingly shook his ass for her a couple of times.

"It's a deal. Once I'm back from the dead, we'll go dancing."

"Deal. What would you enjoy? Bird watching? Something that doesn't involve cheating."

He thought about it. "I never really had time for a hobby. Growing up it was all about the show. Then I was hustling to make money for my family. Then, of course, I was obsessing over Red John, when I wasn't being forced to solve more mundane cases by the adorable slave driver who thought she was my boss."

"Ha, ha," Lisbon said, swatting his butt. "So? Now you have time. Community theater? Painting? Become a mentor for troubled youth?"

"Hm. Interesting choices. Theater is out due to our unpredictable schedule. Mentoring as well, I think. I'd hate to let a kid down at some big life event because I was in New York tracking down some threat to national security." He shrugged. "Maybe when I retire."

"You could write a book. I've had people try to tell me I should write about the Red John case. You'd do it much better."

"I have no desire to relive any of that." He said it more harshly than he meant to, because Lisbon flinched. He reached for her shoulder. "Sorry, love. But no. Not now, not ever."

"Okay. I understand that. I do." She hesitated, then hugged him. He hugged her back, holding her tightly against him. He would never get enough of this, he thought. And he never wanted her to worry that her hug might be unwelcome.

He chuckled a little as a stray thought occurred to him.

"What?" She pulled back, puzzled.

He kissed her lightly. "I know you're serious about this relationship now. You're trying to change me."

"No, I'm not!" She looked a little alarmed.

He made sure to keep his teasing lighthearted. "Yes, you are. You want to get me a hobby. Next you'll bug me to buy a cool car. I already upgraded my wardrobe just to get you to go out with me at all." He made a comically exaggerated frown. "You won't make me sell the Airstream, will you? It's the one thing I'm nostalgic about from my childhood."

"I won't make you do anything," she protested. "Your life is your business."

"No, it's our business, because I want to share my life with you. And I will make reasonable accommodations." He smiled tenderly at her. "If I could get you to call me Patrick once in a while, I might even be persuaded to make some unreasonable ones."

She was getting that deer in the headlights look that meant he was pushing too hard. He stifled a sigh. "Meanwhile, I'll give some thought to hobbies. If I took up hiking, would you go with me?"

His city girl wrinkled her nose. "I could give it a try," she said dubiously.

"I'm really looking forward to taking up cooking again," he said. "Does that count?"

"You don't have to take up a hobby," Lisbon said. "How did we even get on this subject?"

"We were trying to think of things to do for fun," Jane reminded her. "But I'm willing to table that discussion until you get tired of making love with me. Or eating my cooking."

She smiled despite herself. "I don't think I'll get tired of either of those things anytime soon."

"Good. Because I have so much I want us to try. In both departments." He waggled his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her blush, to his delight.

mmm

Fortunately, Cho had added a Sudoku book to the groceries, as well as a couple of non-fiction paperbacks. While Lisbon made use of her time by organizing her home office, Jane read and napped on the couch, content.

When it was time for dinner, he treated her to his homemade red sauce over perfectly cooked angel hair pasta. It gave him enormous pleasure to watch her enjoy it, and even more pleasure to realize that her exertions in unpacking boxes had removed all traces of Marcus' body spray, replacing it with the delicious scent of pure Lisbon.

"What are you smirking about?" Lisbon demanded, having scraped her plate clean.

"I'm not smirking, my dear. I'm merely laughing at myself a little, because you're sitting there glowing with a lovely sheen of sweat and a bit of dust in your hair and I still think you're the sexiest woman on the planet."

She reached up to fluff her hair with a worried frown, which made him grin. She glared a little. "Just for that, I'm not doing the dishes. And I might not even shower before bed."

"I never asked you to do the dishes," he replied smoothly, "and if you want to come to bed all sweaty, be my guest. It will simply inspire me to initiate some athletic activity so we can both work up a sweat."

"Is that why you've been napping all day? Saving your strength?" she teased.

Actually, he thought he'd stay up and keep watch overnight while she slept, but he didn't want to ruin her good mood. "Napping all day is what I do," he pointed out.

"True. Is there dessert?"

He smiled at her hopeful expression. "Possibly," he said slowly.

She pouted at him, which made his smile grow. He kissed those irresistible lips and said, "For you, my love, anything. Cho got us some lovely strawberries, and I noticed half a bag of chocolate chips in your cupboard. How would you like some chocolate covered strawberries?"

"Yum."

His dessert idea served more than one purpose: every time one of them dribbled chocolate on themselves, Lisbon insisted that piece of clothing be removed immediately so she could put stain remover on it and let it soak tonight. Before long they were devouring each other instead of the strawberries, and Jane fulfilled a longstanding fantasy by ravishing her on the kitchen counter. He'd never be able to eat chocolate again without remembering how he'd licked it off her nipples, and the taste of perfectly ripe strawberries would forever be linked to the sensation of her tongue dueling with his.

Lisbon then decided she needed a shower after all, so Jane carried their clothes into the laundry room and pretreated them, then went upstairs to take his turn in the shower since he had a pair of chocolate handprints on his ass. He admired them in the mirror, pondering the idea of a commemorative tattoo, before getting into the tub to wash them off.

The owner of those small but perfect hands was on her laptop checking her email when he came out, toweling his hair dry. "Bed?" he suggested.

"I'm not really sleepy yet," she admitted.

"That's fine." He slipped into bed and picked up the book he was reading on Pompeii. Engrossed in it, he hardly noticed the time passing until Lisbon crawled under the covers beside him, having turned off the overhead light.

"Will the light keep you up?" he asked. The bedside lamp was barely bright enough to read by, but he thought he'd better check.

"Hm mm," she responded.

He glanced down at her, unhappy with the amount of space between them. Hiding a grimace, he lifted his left hand to stroke her hair, which made her look at him with her beautiful, questioning eyes. "C'mere," he said softly.

She blinked, then scooted over to lie in the crook of his arm, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and pretended to go back to reading, content.

He loved a good cuddle, and it occurred to him that Lisbon had not had nearly enough of them in her life. In fact, all the things that he remembered fondly about marriage were a mystery to her. No wonder they were so far apart on where their relationship was. He was eager to build a home, someplace he could retreat to with the one person with whom he could let his guard down. Someplace they could crawl into bed just to cuddle, or even just to exchange a quick goodnight kiss and then fall asleep listening to each other breathe. He missed those things, that sense of belonging, of home. But Lisbon hadn't had a long-term adult relationship, so she didn't know what awaited. That was part of her hesitation. The unknown was scary for her, especially when it came to him.

But marriage wasn't all searing kisses and messy dessert sex on the kitchen counter. It was also about who did the dishes and what to watch on TV and whose turn it was to do the laundry. He just needed to show her what it would be like and how domesticated he could be.

Being stalked by a killer had its upside, he thought. He'd never have convinced Lisbon to move in together so soon; doubtless that was at least 6 months away by whatever timeline she had in her head. But their enforced cohabitation gave him a chance to show her what he hoped for their future.

"Don't stay up all night," she murmured, yawning.

"Don't worry," he murmured back.

She moved her fingers against his T-shirt, then slid her hand down to the hem and slipped it underneath. Her hand came to rest splayed over his heart, as if seeking reassurance he was still alive. He had to press another kiss into her hair. "I love you," he whispered.

"Mm, you too," she sighed.

Her breathing had just slowed and deepened into sleep when her burner phone rang. Jane reached for it, but Lisbon snapped awake and grabbed it with the ease of long practice. "Lisbon. Oh, hey, Cho." She listened, then let out a sigh. "No, you tell him. He's going to be insufferable about this."

Jane grinned as she put the phone on speaker and held it between them. "Good evening, Cho. No body, I take it?"

"There was some kind of mixup. It was cremated before Fischer got there."

"Exactly as I predicted." Jane felt he deserved a little smugness, but the worry in Lisbon's eyes quickly drew him back to the problem at hand.

Cho said, "It doesn't mean the body wasn't Volker."

"But we can't prove it was. So it's possible it wasn't. He's still our prime suspect."

"Abbott wants you two to stay under wraps until we figure this out. I'll come by tomorrow morning. Get some sleep."

Cho hung up, and Lisbon set the phone back on her nightstand with a worried sigh.

"Relax, Lisbon," Jane said in his most comforting tone. "He can't know that we know he's alive. We've got the upper hand."

"For now. But we don't know what he's planning."

Jane decided not to air his theory, which was that Volker intended to kidnap Lisbon so he could watch her suffer. "Whatever it is, we'll stop it. Go to sleep."

"I don't think I can."

"Of course you can. I'll be right here, watching over you. He's not coming tonight, anyway. Flying would be too risky; he'll drive. And he'll want time to set everything up just right. In fact he's probably not coming here at all. He'll probably wait until we're in Sacramento, back where it all started."

"Mm." Lisbon sounded only partly convinced, but she laid back down, her hand sliding under his shirt again. "Wake me up if you get sleepy."

"I napped all day, remember?" he replied. "Sleep, Teresa. You're safe. We both are."

Her hand moved to his side, her arm draped across his ribcage as if to hold him in place. Then she closed her eyes and, after a few minutes, drifted off again, lulled by his heartbeat.

Volker might be after Lisbon, but he had no idea what was in store. Jane was going to ensure this was his final, fatal mistake. He just needed to make certain it would look like a justified killing in the eyes of the law, because he wasn't leaving Lisbon again.

He definitely had some planning to do.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **This chapter didn't quite go as I meant it to. I hope you find it believable though. Here's to surviving the final two weeks of hiatus!

**Chapter 10**

The next morning, Lisbon seemed restless. She wasn't one to hunker down and hide, he reflected; she was more the type to run straight at danger and tackle it head on. As they cleaned up the breakfast dishes, he said, "I think it wouldn't look too odd if you went in to work today for a few hours."

She shook her head. "And leave you on your own? No." She shot him a suspicious look. "Are you trying to get rid of me so you can run off and do something stupid?"

"No." He couldn't help chuckling a little. "For one thing, I'll never want to get rid of you. Why would I want you to go sit at a desk all day—because there's no way Abbott's letting you into the field right now—when we could spend the day napping and making love?" He smiled at her, then said soberly, "Besides, you've been very clear about your views on my running off."

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because you are the least sedentary person I know. And you already finished unpacking yesterday. You're happiest when you're doing something productive. It's your industrious nature."

Lisbon sighed a little. "I guess I could clean. Oh, and laundry."

"All right. I'll be your assistant." Jane seized the opportunity to show her the value of a partner in domestic chores. Once upon a time he had folded laundry and vacuumed, after all. He'd find her least favorite chore and volunteer to do it. Angela hadn't liked to cook or iron, so he'd gotten good at both. He already knew Lisbon wasn't big on cooking either, so he looked forward to resuming his hobby. "Give me an assignment."

She looked skeptical. "I haven't dusted in a while."

"Perfect. Point me in the direction of your duster."

mmm

Jane dusted, mopped the kitchen floor, and then scrubbed the counters. Lisbon vacuumed and did the laundry, then tackled the bathrooms. After they had finished their chores, they indulged in a long cuddle on the couch.

"It's been a long time since I had a day like this," Jane reflected, nuzzling Lisbon's hair.

"Don't try to tell me you're nostalgic about housecleaning," she scoffed.

"A little bit. It's been a long time since I had anyplace to call home. I think that's mostly what I miss."

"The Airstream doesn't count?" she asked.

"For me, a home is a place I share with someone I love. You haven't spent much time in the Airstream yet." He squeezed her shoulder. "I hope that will change, of course."

Lisbon gave a non-committal hum, which he decided to take as a challenge. He'd make her love his home as much as he was growing to love hers. Eventually, he hoped, there would be no his and hers, only theirs. It would take time, but he would be patient. And meanwhile, he would enjoy convincing her.

Thinking of all that lay ahead, he buried his face in her hair, smiling. "Shall we move to the bedroom?"

"Some of us don't spend our daylight hours sleeping," she pointed out.

"I wasn't necessarily proposing we sleep," he murmured.

She chuckled. "You are out of control."

"I love you deeply, but I admit you also inspire more lust than I thought I was still capable of," he said. She wasn't the only one surprised by how much—and how often—he wanted her. It must be all those years of longing, he thought. He hadn't been like this since he was a teenager.

She looked up at him, and he smiled at the little crease between her brows. "Why now? After all those years of...of not being attracted to me?"

"I'm free now. That's the biggest reason. But the truth is, Teresa, that I was always attracted to you. I just had to keep my promise before I could let myself express that."

"Always?"

"Yes. The attraction changed as we got to know each other and I started to recover a little, but it was there from the moment you introduced yourself. You're a beautiful woman, you know."

"Not in your league," she demurred.

"Far out of my league, my darling. Because you're beautiful to your core, not just on the surface."

She tucked her head into the crook of his neck. "You have a good heart," she said, laying her hand over it. "And I know you'll always do your best for me. That's a beautiful thing."

"I will always do my best for you," he agreed. "Nothing will ever change that."

She lifted her head to kiss him, sweetly at first and then becoming demanding, and he began to think she'd accepted his plan for their afternoon—until her phone buzzed. She pulled away despite his attempt to hang onto her and picked it up. "Cho's on his way over with lunch. I hope there's news."

"Preferably good," he said, resigned to postponing his plans.

When Cho arrived a few minutes later, he glanced around the pristine house with a hint of amusement. "Been busy?" he asked Lisbon.

"Figured as long as I was stuck here, I might as well get some stuff done," she replied. "What's up?"

"Abbott wants to move things along. We decided the easiest thing to do is pretend we had the body cremated and take the ashes to Sacramento. I talked to the cemetery and made arrangements for a graveside service." He turned to Jane. "They said we could bury the ashes under your wife's headstone. We can always take them back out later."

Jane breathed through a wave of grief and anger at the thought of disturbing Angela's grave. But it wasn't as if she would be aware of it, and he thought she wouldn't mind even if she were. It was for a good cause, after all. He liked to think she would have been proud of his second career helping people find justice. "Doesn't matter," he said, managing an even tone. "Whose ashes are they?"

"Nobody's. Just wood ash," Cho replied. Lisbon looked relieved, and he realized that, as a believer in the afterlife, she would have found putting a stranger's ashes in his wife's grave repulsive. He felt grateful that she cared so much about someone she had never met. But then, she was the most compassionate person he knew, and she hated for him to be hurt in any way. "I already have them ready to go. And our plane tickets for tonight. We'll spend the night, go to the cemetery tomorrow morning, and fly home in the afternoon."

"That doesn't leave Volker a lot of time," Jane pointed out.

"If this is part of his plan, he won't need a lot of time. I talked to Rigsby, and once I told them it was a ruse, they decided not to take the chance of coming out into the open."

"Good," Lisbon said. "It makes sense that you and I wouldn't spend a lot of time there if there's nobody to see."

Jane found himself a little depressed by the idea of being mourned by so few people. But if this had been a real funeral, at least the two people there would be ones who had really known him and cared about him. "I take it you've got people who'll be watching?"

"All set. A team flew out today. Abbott won't trust anybody in California. Something about a list you have?" Cho fixed him with a look.

"Grace is working on it," Jane assured him. "And what about my travel?"

"You're not going." Cho folded his arms.

"The hell I'm not!"

"Abbott's already annoyed that you made your own arrangements here," Cho said. "If anybody's watching Lisbon, that makes it impossible to get you out without tipping them off. You have to stay put. We'll only be gone for 24 hours."

The idea that he wouldn't be there to help keep an eye out was unacceptable. He wasn't going to have Lisbon out there as bait without whatever protection he could offer. "We can find a way."

"He also said it's too difficult to get you through TSA under a fake identity," Cho added. "We don't have time and it's not worth the effort. You stay here."

"No." Jane glared at his friend. "I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while you and Lisbon put yourselves at risk."

"I told him you'd say that. He told me to tell you that if you disobey orders, he'll have you arrested for interfering with an investigation. And to remind you that there was nothing in your deal that prohibits him from transferring Lisbon to another field office. He mentioned Alaska."

Jane thought his head might explode with rage. "I trust you gave him some inkling of the havoc I would wreak in retaliation for such foolishness."

"I guess he figures he has nothing to lose. You're no good to him dead."

Lisbon took Jane's arm. "Jane. It's only 24 hours. We don't even know if Volker's still alive. Even if he is, I'll have plenty of protection. I'll be back before you know it."

Cho apparently decided that persuading Jane was best left to Lisbon. "I'll be back to pick you up at four," he told her.

"You're not going to stay and eat?" she asked.

"I'll take mine to go." He dug in the bag and grabbed a container. "See you at four."

When Cho had closed the door behind him, Jane busied himself setting out lunch. From the scents wafting from the bag, he knew Cho had remembered all their Chinese favorites. "Would you get us some drinks?"

There was no response, and he turned to find Lisbon watching him, her hands on her hips. "What?" he asked innocently.

"We're not done talking about this," she warned.

"I'm aware. But there's no reason to discuss it on an empty stomach."

"Fine," she muttered, stomping toward the kitchen.

Despite his resolve to be straight with Lisbon as much as possible, Jane knew she would not accept his resolve. He would need to go behind her back. Regrettable, but necessary.

She returned with a beer for herself and water for him. He frowned at her; it wasn't like her to drink at lunch.

"Oh, stop," she said. "I need to look like a wreck on my way to your funeral. This'll help me sleep on the plane."

"You need your wits about you." Jane switched their drinks.

Lisbon shot him a glare. "One beer isn't going to impair my ability to protect myself, Jane." She grabbed the beer back, taking a swig before sitting down.

"You're not inspiring the confidence I'll need to bear my confinement," he complained, sitting down and claiming the carton of shrimp lo mein.

"Stop lying to me," she snapped, grabbing the container of chicken and broccoli. "You've already decided to run off on your own, no matter what anyone else thinks. Even if it gets me sent to Alaska. I'm warning you, if that happens, I'm finding myself a lumberjack to keep me warm at night."

"Abbott's bluffing," Jane said. "He wouldn't dare transfer you. I'd make his life a living hell and he knows it."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Lisbon grumbled. "I'm also not so sure I want to be with someone who's determined to be careless with his own life."

Jane put his chopsticks down. "Are you giving me an ultimatum?"

"Would that work?"

"Maybe," he admitted reluctantly. "I'd think it was pretty low for you to stoop, though."

They stared each other down. Jane noted the fear in her eyes and her queasy expression. His stomach lurched as he was reminded of their argument in the house on Orchid Lane, when she'd given him an ultimatum about Lorelei. He'd seen that she'd been prepared to throw him off the team, even though it would be like ripping her own heart out. He had no doubt she was capable of sacrificing their new relationship, especially since ending things and telling herself it was his fault would let her off the hook for dealing with her commitment issues.

And she wouldn't stick around to give him the chance to change her mind. She'd ask Abbott for a transfer and whisk herself out of his life, just like she'd left Greg. He needed to put a stop to this. "Before we escalate to threats, perhaps we could begin by calmly making the case for our preferred course of action," he suggested.

"Fine. This is a law enforcement action. It will be carried out by professionals who do not need to be distracted by a civilian freelancing. Especially when he's supposed to be dead and if he accidentally disproves that, his life will immediately be at risk."

"I have a great deal of experience with costuming and concealing my identity," Jane said. "I won't be caught."

"You'll introduce an unexpected element to an already volatile situation," she argued.

"I'll be an extra layer of protection for you."

"Maybe. Maybe you'd end up distracting my protection. You could get one of us killed."

He decided to cut straight to the chase. "And if something goes wrong, how am I supposed to live with the fact that I didn't even try to save you? I can't, Teresa."

Lisbon sighed. "Nothing's going to go wrong, Jane."

"You can't be sure of that." He frowned, searching for the words to convey to her his absolute terror at the idea of letting her walk out that door without him.

"Jane." Her voice softened, and he wondered what she was seeing in his expression. "I know that you think we can't get along without you. But in this case, we can. I promise I'll be careful. And you know Cho will keep a good eye on me. I know you're scared that you might lose me. But I'm just as scared I might lose you. You won't have anybody to protect you. And even if everything turns out okay, Abbott won't let this pass. He'll feel the need to assert his authority. Either he'll send you to jail or me to Alaska, or both. Either way we'll be separated again. And it'll hurt more than before because now you've filled my head with all these ideas about building a life together." She paused, drawing in a watery breath. "So if you do this, I have to think you weren't serious about wanting forever. Because if you were, you wouldn't take such a ridiculous, selfish risk."

Jane ran a hand through his hair in frustration. She had him neatly trapped. "Let me get this straight. Unless I stay here and twiddle my thumbs while you hold my fake funeral, you'll give up on us?"

"I'm asking you," she said quietly, holding his gaze, "to please do what I and everyone else who cares about you are asking: stay here. You've already gotten hurt twice by whoever this is. If you got killed because of me, I'd never forgive myself." She swallowed hard. "I want this life together you say we can have. Don't take it away from me. Please."

Closing his eyes, Jane let out a sigh of capitulation. "All right." He looked at her so she could see he was telling the truth. "I'll stay here. But you have to promise me to take every precaution. Don't be out of Cho's sight for a second."

"That'll make going to the bathroom interesting." Her mouth quirked into a brief grin.

"I'm serious."

"Does that mean you expect us to share a hotel room?" She took another sip of beer.

"Two rooms with a connecting door will do," he replied.

"I think we can handle that. Any more demands?" There was an edge to her voice, and he would have grinned if he weren't heartsick.

"Yes. We are going to finish our lunch and then go upstairs and have vigorous, slightly desperate goodbye sex."

She smiled. "I can live with that."

As she munched on an egg roll, Jane hoped fervently that she would live with more than that. For a very long time.

They didn't speak much for the rest of the meal, but Jane noticed that Lisbon was watching him when she thought he wasn't looking. She wasn't convinced he was giving in. But she was also thinking about how to incentivize him to obey orders. Because most of her relationships with men outside work had been based on sex, that was where her thoughts were heading. He could tell by the way she was sucking on her chopsticks a little every time she drew them out of her mouth. If he played his cards right, this could be the most mind-blowing good-bye he'd ever had. Since she was the one insisting on him staying behind, he was happy to let her make it up to him, both now and when she got back.

If she came back.

"You realize," he said after he'd finished his last bite, "that if you don't come back, I'm going to track down the person responsible and give them the most painful death I can devise. And this time I'm not going to bother to run afterward." Whether he'd allow an arrest or commit suicide by cop, he wouldn't know until it happened. It would probably depend on who came after him. He would never put his death on Cho. Not Fischer either, he thought. Abbott, maybe—he could stand to be shaken up, lose some of his smugness.

"That is not what I want, Jane." Lisbon put her beer down with unnecessary force.

"You'll be dead, so why should I give a damn what you want then?" He pinned her with his most intense stare. "Your influence over me is powerful, Lisbon. You're the one person on this planet who can force me to act against my best judgment. But that ends the moment you die. Do you understand? I'll make you no promises about what happens after that. If you want to ensure I behave a certain way, you have to stay alive to enforce it."

"You don't have to threaten me to make me want to live," she snarked.

"One good threat deserves another. I resent the hell out of you using my love for you as a weapon to force me to do what you want." He was glad she had the grace to look ashamed. "But I know you're doing it because you're scared, so I'm willing to let you. This time. But this is your only dispensation, Teresa. You don't get to threaten to leave me every time you want something I'm not willing to give."

"I wouldn't do that," she said.

"Good. Next time I'm calling your bluff." He got up and began gathering things up to clear the table. He was angry and frightened himself, and for once he wanted her to know it.

"I'm not bluffing," she snapped, getting up herself and carrying the remaining containers and her empty beer bottle into the kitchen behind him. "Sometimes you have to follow orders, Jane. You have to do things you don't want to. That's—"

He cut her off, pushing her roughly against the refrigerator and fastening his mouth to hers. She let out a squeak of shock, but after a moment she opened to him, wrapping all four of her limbs around him firmly. He wanted to rip her clothes off, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her upstairs to toss her on the bed, but he conceded that attempting it would land him in the emergency room, even if she cooperated. He'd throw his back out, most likely. Lisbon was petite, but she was all sleek muscle, heavier than she looked. His wounded arm was already screaming in protest holding her against the fridge.

"Upstairs," he growled into her ear.

"Fine." She sank her teeth into his bottom lip before lowering her legs and arms. He stepped back to let her go first, giving her a retaliatory smack on her shapely ass as she turned away from him.

She tossed a glare over her shoulder, but her pupils were huge. He grinned at her, feeling ravenous, and grabbed a handful of her shirt. "Ladies first."

They playfully struggled toward the stairs, where Lisbon finally tired of towing him and pulled her shirt over her head, flinging it at his face and using the seconds that bought her to race up the steps. Jane followed, reaching the bedroom and stopping short as he found it empty. Before he could turn to look around, he was tackled from behind and found himself face down on the bed, his good arm twisted behind his back. "Hey," he protested, offended at being manhandled like a suspect. "I don't think this position is going to be fun for either of us."

"Are you going to be a good boy, or do I have to cuff you to the bed?" she demanded, settling her weight on him as he struggled experimentally.

"Trick question," he retorted. "You get suspicious when I'm a good boy. And I don't want you to cuff me to the bed in case you forget to uncuff me before you run off to Sacramento."

"You'd survive," she told him. "I'd leave you some water and bread or something."

"I said I'd stay. What do you need as proof?" She could be so infuriating sometimes, he thought.

"I'm going to wear you out so you won't follow us," she said.

"Better than pistol whipping me," he joked.

"That reminds me. I have to show you where the guns are, in case you need them. The FBI will maintain surveillance, but I don't want you here alone and unarmed."

"Ooh, sex and guns. What's next, drugs? You're not going to force feed me sleeping pills, are you?"

"Don't tempt me. I'd do anything to keep you alive. Anything." She eased up her hold and flipped him onto his back, straddling him. "I'd never get over you, Jane. Not for the rest of my life."

"Good, we're on the same page then." Her bra fastened in the back where he couldn't reach without sitting up, so he pulled on the cups until her breasts spilled out of them, nipples hard and straining toward him.

Lisbon reached behind her to get rid of the bra, but he couldn't wait, splaying his hands over both breasts and kneading them. She threw her head back and moaned, her hips moving restlessly. A hiccuping cry escaped her as he gave her nipples a hard pinch, and after she tossed the bra aside she started to unfasten her jeans. When she went up on her knees to slide them off, Jane made his move, grabbing her around the waist and pushing her onto her back, pinning her with his body. "Much better," he said.

"I can't unbutton your shirt like this," she complained, trying to work her fingers between their bodies.

"You don't need to. I hope you're ready, love, because I'm going to make you so sore you'll think about me all the way to California. I don't want you to forget for one second what's waiting for you back here." He kissed her, hard, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as if to claim her. When her hands were safely tangled in his hair, he lifted his hips just enough to yank her panties down to where she could kick them off with her jeans.

Moving his weight to his bad arm, the adrenaline and endorphins quelling the pain, he thrust two fingers into her, smiling at the shriek that erupted from her throat. He was merciless, pushing her as fast as she could go, working her clit with his thumb as he moved his fingers in and out, adding a third as her hips fell open wider under his onslaught. Her eyes were glazed with passion and pleasure, and she was breathing so hard it sounded like sobbing. He gave her one last brutal thrust and she came apart, screaming his name as her body convulsed violently. He stilled his hand but maintained the pressure on her clit until she went limp, panting, a tear escaping one eye.

"We're just getting started," he whispered, giving her a loving kiss before pulling away. Balancing on his knees, he guided her to roll over on her stomach, noting how her breathing quickened as she pulled her knees under her and raised her lower body for him. "I love to watch your face, but I love this position too. I can go so deep this way. I'm going to be a little rough with you, sweetheart."

"I can take it," she gasped out, as if he'd dared her.

"Oh," he chuckled, "I know you can. My badass cop." He unzipped his pants but didn't take them down, drawing his stiff, aching cock out of his fly and guiding it to her wet, swollen entrance. "Hang on tight."

She grabbed fistfuls of the covers, but when his first powerful thrust sent her skidding forward, she reached for the headboard to brace herself. Jane paused, savoring the feeling of being wedged so deep and tight, and said, "I warned you."

"Less talk, more action," she breathed.

He pulled almost all the way out, gritting his teeth as she gripped him in protest, and then slammed back into her. She'd asked for it, after all; he was going to make her gorgeous ass so sore she could hardly bear the flight away from him.

Lisbon seemed to be in agreement, pushing back against him as if trying to impale herself even more deeply. They fell into a fast, almost frantic rhythm that threatened to shut down all his higher brain functions. He was lost in the feel of her; the scent she was giving off, all sweaty and musky; the sound of the bed creaking beneath them and the little huffing sounds she made each time he shoved himself into her, as if he was driving all the air out of her lungs. She was a sensual feast. He leaned down to take a long lick along her spine, adding her salty taste to his sensory input and making her shudder.

His voice was raspy as he asked, "Are you close?"

"Uh huh," she managed. Then she lifted a hand away from the headboard, bringing it between her legs. He felt her fingers brush him as he pulled out and pushed back in, and he let out something between a cry and a growl at the sensation and the knowledge that she was rubbing herself to climax while he pounded into her, grunting like a wild beast.

He lost it the moment he felt her start to convulse around him, milking him ruthlessly, almost to the point of pain. He managed a few more erratic thrusts, gushing into her like a firehose, before collapsing. Rolling off her took the last of his strength, and he lay on his back, gasping for air, as she uncurled herself and lay alongside him, a beatific smile lighting her face.

"You win," he panted. "I'm too exhausted to go anywhere."

"Mm." She hummed in approval, lifting one leg so she could slide her foot along his calf. "Yeah, you need to save your strength for when I get back. I expect a really enthusiastic welcome, and you've set the bar pretty high."

He chuckled, running a hand along her back. "You liked that, huh?"

"Mm hm."

"Me too. Especially the part where you touched yourself for me. I'd really like to watch you masturbate sometime."

He felt her tuck her face into his shoulder and glanced down to find her blushing. She was adorable, he reflected, such a fascinating mix of assertive sexuality and Catholic guilt.

"Maybe if you behave, I'll do it when I get back. As a special treat," she murmured.

"Make that a definitely instead of a maybe, and you won't have to worry about what I'm up to while you're gone. I'll be right here in your bed touching myself and thinking about you doing the same."

She lifted her head to look at him, a finger moving in slow circles on his chest. "Hm. Deal."

"Good." He buried his face in her hair, smiling as he breathed in her familiar fragrance. "And the rest of the time, I'm going to look for that vibrator I know you have. We can have some fun with that too."

She gave him a light, playful slap on the chest. "I guess it won't do any good to tell you not to snoop."

"None at all, I'm afraid. I want to know everything about you."

"Does that mean I get to know everything about you in return?"

"Yes. I can't guarantee you'll like everything you hear, but I'll do my best to answer any questions you have." He yawned, wishing for a nap but not wanting to lose any of his precious remaining moments with her.

"Good. I'll think up some while I'm gone," she said, failing to stifle a yawn of her own. "Maybe just a short nap."

"A short one," he agreed, giving into the drowsiness tugging at him.

mmm

When Jane woke, Lisbon was fully dressed and putting things into a duffel bag. He watched her for a few minutes, comforted by the familiarity of it. Every inch of her screamed cop, from the way she planted her feet to the bulge of the gun she was already wearing. Jane glanced at his watch and realized he'd slept much longer than he planned. It was almost time for Cho to pick her up.

Sitting up, he tucked himself back into his slightly sticky pants and zipped up. Lisbon glanced at him with a smile. "I was wondering if I was going to have to wake you up," she said.

"You wore me out," he admitted.

"Cho texted me he's on his way." She must have seen his expression change as his stomach gave an unpleasant lurch, because she sat down on the bed, laying her hand on his cheek tenderly. "I'll be back tomorrow evening. And I'll text you as much as I can. Don't run off. I want you here waiting for me when I get home."

"I will be," he promised, though he had no idea how he was going to get through the next 24 hours. The burner phones were the only reason he thought he had any chance at all. "Promise you'll be careful and you won't leave Cho's sight."

"I promise, except for bathroom breaks," she replied. "With any luck, we'll have this guy in custody tomorrow morning and you can come back to life."

"I hope so. Though it's not so bad, hiding out here and being your boy toy." He managed a grin, drawing one from her in return.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it, texting a short message back. "Cho's here."

An icy shiver went down Jane's spine. "I'll walk you to the door," he said, getting up and taking her hand.

"There's a gun taped to the underside of the nightstand," she said. "And one in the back of the kitchen cupboard with the mugs. Both loaded. There's a rifle in the back of the coat closet, unloaded. The ammunition's in the box marked 'hats.'"

He smiled a little as she grabbed her bag, and they went downstairs together. They stopped at the door, looking at each other and trying to hide their anguish. Lisbon dropped her bag and cupped his face in her hands, looking intently as if memorizing him. "Be here when I get back," she whispered.

Jane swept her into his arms, holding her too tightly but unable to stop himself. "Come back," he choked out. "Come back alive."

She hugged him back just as fiercely, then tried for humor. "Of course I'm coming back. It's my house, Jane."

"I love you." He had to make absolutely sure she knew that. "You're taking my heart with you."

"And I'm leaving mine here with you," she said, a quaver in her voice. "I love you too, Patrick. And I'm sorry for all the hurt I caused you—"

"Ssh," he reproved. "I'm the one who's sorry. I have so much more hurt to apologize for. I want to make it up to you. And I will. As long as you come back."

"I will. I promise."

Jane knew he should let her go, but he wasn't sure he was physically able to loosen his embrace.

"Jane, I have to go," she murmured in his ear.

"I know." Jane felt his burner phone vibrate in his pocket, and he managed to move one hand to pull it out. There was a text from Cho: _Send her out or I'm coming in_.

He chuckled hoarsely. "Cho apparently thinks I'm holding you hostage."

Lisbon pulled back, wiping at her eyes, and read the text with a huff of laughter. "I'd better go."

He nodded, unable to speak, and caught her hand in his, lifting it to his lips for a long moment. A warm tear made its way down his cheek, and he looked at her eyes, wet with tears of her own. They stood that way for a minute, until Lisbon took a deep breath, tried to smile, and pulled her hand gently out of his. She picked up her bag and was out the door before he could react.

Jane moved to the window, lifting a slat of the blinds to watch her walk to Cho's car. Cho was waiting to put her bag in the trunk, and he gave her a brief hug before they got in and drove off. Jane watched a long time before sinking onto the couch, his head in his hands.

Cho would do everything possible to bring Lisbon safely home, he knew. He was highly trained and highly motivated. He was, in fact, a better bodyguard than Jane would ever be.

But his wasn't the heart Lisbon was taking with her. And he wasn't the one sitting here even though every nerve in his body was screaming for him to go to Sacramento. If it weren't for his determination to prove to Lisbon that she could trust him, depend on him, he'd already be on his way.

Still. Maybe he could get there and back without her ever knowing. He could—

His phone buzzed with a text from Lisbon. _Thank you for staying. I know it's hard. But it means a lot that you're willing to do it for me._

Jane sighed. It was going to be a very long night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews! Sorry this took a while, but work kicked my ass this past week, and I had to put in some time voting in the Save One Show polls. But I hope to have this mostly wrapped up by the end of the hiatus, which is coming soon, thank God. Assuming my muse doesn't throw me any more curve balls. Sometimes I think she and Jane are related...

**Chapter 11**

The evening dragged. Jane paced, worrying in between texts from Lisbon. The hours she was in the air were the worst, but at last she let him know they'd landed safely. An hour later, she sent a message that she was in her hotel room, with Cho next door and the connecting door ajar. After a minute, she added: _Try to sleep. Be safe. I love you._

_Dream of me_, he texted back. _I love you_.

He knew sleep wouldn't be possible tonight, and he'd finished the book Cho had brought him, so he decided to prowl the newly stocked shelves in Lisbon's home office to see if there was anything worth reading.

He rolled his eyes as he read the titles; they were all books about leadership, as if that was something she needed to study. There were also books on management, which he thought might lull him to sleep, if not into a coma.

More interesting were some textbooks she had apparently kept after college, though he doubted police procedure held any mysteries for him after all these years. He bent to peruse the bottom shelf. Surely Lisbon read fiction occasionally, or at least biographies. Ah! What were these tucked behind the textbooks? Steamy romance novels? Those would be worth looking at, to determine which pages were the most well read and examine those scenes for ideas of what she might enjoy trying.

But they weren't novels; they were psychology books. Not surprising, he supposed, though he thought Lisbon usually relied on him for insights into people's minds. The three on grief puzzled him, though. Surely she had worked through the loss of her parents years ago? But a look at their copyright pages told him they were only about a decade old. There were no notes or highlighting in the chapters dealing with loss of parents, either. Flipping idly through the rest of one book, he spotted a highlighted sentence dealing with loss of a spouse, and it hit him: Lisbon had bought these books trying to understand him. To help him. She'd started early in their working relationship, too.

He smiled, touched. And he understood why she'd hidden them, because she was always respectful of his privacy, and she wouldn't want him to think she'd been trying to get into his head. But, like leadership, insight into a person didn't come from a book. He wondered if she'd gleaned anything from these that had proved even vaguely useful. Maybe he'd take a look, just out of curiosity. It might be useful to know what she would be looking for if she thought he wasn't over the loss of his family.

He read about grief until half past midnight, then decided to rest his eyes. He longed to text Lisbon but didn't want to disturb her sleep. Cuddling her pillow only made him miss her more, the scent evoking memories of the times he'd been close to her. Or, more recently, inside her.

Great. Now he was sleepless and horny.

With a sigh, he went downstairs and settled on the couch under a throw. It didn't smell as strongly of her, and there was something about lying on a couch again that helped him think.

Had Volker really pulled off an escape with no one the wiser? Or was there someone else out there with enough of a grudge against Lisbon to go to all this trouble?

Of course, as Abbott would no doubt point out, so far no one had come after Lisbon. Or Cho. Or, as far as they knew, the Rigsbys. Just Jane.

Could he have miscalculated? He remained convinced that whoever was behind the attacks on him had intended only to toy with them, since both attacks had been almost laughably incompetent. Their enemy was either diabolical or an idiot. Ordinarily Jane would prefer diabolical, but since Lisbon and the only other people he cared deeply about were at risk, he was rooting for idiot.

He was running all the details he knew about Volker through his head, trying to see if the profile had any mismatches, when his phone buzzed. Frowning, he lifted it out of his pocket and glanced at the text, then smiled. It was from Lisbon, asking if he was asleep. He couldn't resist texting back a "yes" just to annoy her a little.

The phone rang a second later. "Were you really asleep?" she asked, sounding both worried and skeptical, a combination that was typically Lisbon.

"No, silly," he murmured affectionately. "I'm lying here on your couch missing you. The selection of reading material in this establishment leaves a great deal to be desired."

She sighed. "You've opened every drawer in the place, haven't you."

"Not every drawer. I spent some time reading those self-help books you tried to hide from me. Now I'm depressed about the state of my mental health, thank you very much."

"Are you okay?" she said uncertainly.

"I'm just teasing you. I'm fine. Except that I miss you terribly."

"I miss you too," she responded. "But I'll be home tomorrow."

"That doesn't make me feel any better tonight. Dare I hope you've called to offer phone sex?"

The choke on the other end of the line made him grin. He wished he could see the blush that no doubt accompanied it. "Do you know how easy it is for people to eavesdrop on cell phones?"

"Afraid we'd go viral?" he chuckled.

"A little, yeah."

"How very disappointing. I hope you plan to make it up to me."

She chuckled softly. "I do. But I'm kind of at a loss. I don't think I've ever been in the position of wanting to reward you for good behavior. At least not without also wanting to strangle you."

"Fortunately, our relationship has evolved to include a wide range of carnal delights, many of which we've yet to sample. Which reminds me, I can only conclude you wanted me to find your vibrator, since you hid it in such an obvious place." He hadn't actually looked for it yet, but this would save him the trouble.

"And here I thought even you would hesitate to open a big box of tampons," she grumbled unconvincingly.

He laughed. "After all these years, you still underestimate me."

A silvery giggle delighted him. "And after all these years, you think I don't know when you're peddling sheep dip. You haven't found it, you old fraud."

"Ah. Well played, my dear. I shall redouble my efforts. Now, tell me what's keeping you awake."

"I'm not looking forward to tomorrow."

"Of course not. But you'll do fine. You've done a great job of playing the grieving girlfriend so far."

"It wasn't hard," she admitted, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "I just...pretended it was real."

"I'm sorry, love." All his amusement vanished at the thought of her heartache, temporary though it was. He imagined her standing over Angela's grave with the ashes, weeping for the life he'd promised her that was now lost forever. "Don't stay out there long. You don't need to."

"I'll be fine, as long as I know you're safe. You're not lying to me, are you? You're really still there?"

"I'm really still here. Would you like me to put your favorite album on to prove it?"

"No. I believe you. I'm just shocked that you did as you were told for once."

He stifled a sigh. "I will always keep my promises to you, my dear. No matter how irksome I find it." He was well aware that although her primary concern was his safety, this was also a test to see if she could rely on him. He was determined to pass it.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment that he struggled to interpret. Then he heard a slightly watery intake of breath, making his heart clench, before she said, "I know."

"Do you? Because I know I haven't always been a hundred percent reliable. But I will be now." He hoped she could find it in herself to believe that.

Lisbon gave a soft chuckle. "Even against your better judgment?"

"Obviously. My better judgment would have resulted in the two of us snuggled up together in your hotel bed, maybe even getting some sleep." He shifted, getting more comfortable on the couch. "I think you might be addictive, my dear. I'm afraid I might not be able to sleep without you anymore."

"Hm. I don't suppose it will do me any good to tell you that we haven't been dating long enough to move in together." There was enough teasing in her tone to keep him from panicking.

"You've never given me a copy of this timetable we're supposed to be following," he replied. "And I know you draw a distinction between all our years working together and our romance, but in terms of time spent together in a variety of circumstances, some quite stressful, I'd say we're well ahead of most couples."

"You feel that way because you think you know everything about me," she said. "But you are still a mystery to me in a lot of ways. You've always been so guarded."

He wondered if she would have been able to say that to him in person. Maybe some good could come from this separation after all. "You know me better than anyone," he pointed out.

"Which isn't saying much," she replied.

"Fair enough. I'll try to answer any question you want to ask."

"I shouldn't have to interrogate you. I want you to volunteer things. Tell me stories about your childhood, or maybe even your family."

The thought was oddly intimidating. Well, that was a place to start, he thought. "I know you think that should come naturally, and maybe you're right. But growing up with carnies, I was taught to not trust outsiders. To keep up the act. And there wasn't any need to talk about myself to anybody with the show, because they all knew me since I was a kid. Well, most of them. Certainly Angela knew everything she needed to without my telling her."

He realized that might sound like a criticism of Lisbon for needing him to tell her things, so he hurried to add, "I think that was part of why I couldn't just put myself back together after I lost my family. We left our carny family behind, so after...after Angela and Charlotte were gone, there was no one who knew who I was. I was completely alone."

He paused to clear his throat and get his emotions under control. "Sophie helped with that some. But as I came to the decision to seek my revenge, I knew I was going to have to avoid emotional attachments. I foolishly thought that would be easy with you, since you obviously tried to steer clear of emotional attachments yourself. But at the same time I knew you'd look after me once you accepted me as part of your team. And you did. You folded me into your little family and kept me alive, kept me sane. Kept me in touch with my humanity even when I didn't want to be. The man I am today is due to you, Lisbon. That's why you know me better than you think you do, even if you don't know much about my past. The man my father made of me became the man Angela made me. But all of that is just a part of the man you made me."

Lisbon was silent again. Her voice was almost a whisper as she said, "You changed me too, you know. You wouldn't let me be all business. I started to see the little things and how to...to remember joy. How important it is. I knew you were probably playing me in the beginning, but the way you paid attention made me feel like I was important as a person, not just as a cop."

He smiled. "You were important to me as a person from the day we met. Out of necessity at first, but then by preference. You've been the most important person in my life for so long. I can't imagine it any other way."

She hummed in acknowledgment, and he realized her breathing was slowing. She was relaxing as he talked, his voice reassuring her he was safe and alive and easing her into much-needed sleep. Lowering his voice to a gentle murmur, he continued, "My heart always goes with you, wherever you are. You carry it around with you, just like I carry you around with me. Whenever I have to make a decision, I hear you urging me toward the cautious choice, the reasonable course of action. You keep me safe even when you aren't with me. You're my guardian angel."

He paused to yawn, her deep breathing lulling him into a drowse. He wondered how many minutes they had left on these no-contract phones, because he thought he could sleep if he could listen to her breathe. He hoped being back in California wouldn't dredge up old, bad memories in her dreams, but if it did, he wanted to be there to comfort her.

Closing his eyes, he whispered, "I love you, my darling. Sleep well."

mmm

When he woke, the sun was up and his phone was dead. He plugged it in to charge and stayed nearby, worried he'd miss her if she called or texted. He was desperate enough for distraction to flip through one of the books on leadership, finding a pen to make some corrections and notations to amuse himself—and Lisbon if she should ever revisit this book.

Cho texted him that they were leaving for the funeral, doubtless at Lisbon's prompting. Her phone must be in desperate need of charging too.

Jane tried not to imagine Lisbon standing at his family's graves, clutching her urn of ashes and desolate with imagined loss. But he couldn't get the image out of his head. He was sure she'd bought flowers to lay at Angela's and Charlotte's graves, and that she'd stay a while to pray, because she believed that was of benefit somehow. He didn't begrudge her that; if anyone deserved a happy afterlife, it was his precious, innocent family. He didn't believe in it, but he sometimes wished he could. And he wouldn't try to take the comfort of Lisbon's faith away from her. He never wanted to deprive her of anything, ever again.

At long last he got a text that they were on their way to brunch with Minelli, who apparently had heard of Jane's death through the ever-efficient California law enforcement grapevine and shown up for the graveside service. Jane was touched, but worried that Lisbon would find it harder to keep up the act in the presence of someone she respected so much. Still, even if she told Minelli the truth—or he guessed—the secret would be safe with him.

Jane fixed himself some lunch and began thinking about a welcome home dinner for Lisbon. Menu planning and a minute examination of the available ingredients passed the time until Lisbon texted to tell him they were safely at the airport.

Hm. He'd been sure Volker would take this chance, but he couldn't be disappointed. He'd rather be close by if she were in immediate danger. And right now he really just wanted her home. Their separation had already lasted a minor eternity.

After the longest afternoon in the history of timekeeping, he started on dinner, keeping his fingers crossed that Lisbon's flight wasn't delayed. When his phone buzzed, he picked it up with equal parts anticipation and dread.

_On our way home,_ Lisbon's text read. _I invited Cho for dinner so I hope you're decent._

Jane laughed out loud with relief and joy. _Dinner's on the table in 10 mins, he texted back._

Setting the table and putting the finishing touches on dinner left him just enough time to run upstairs and tidy himself up. He was still fussing with his hair when the front door opened, and he grinned as he hurried to the stairs.

Lisbon was looking around with a worried expression when he got far enough down the steps to see her. "Welcome home!" he called.

A smile lit her face as she caught sight of him, and a moment later she was in his arms, her strong arms threatening to break his ribs. He couldn't have cared less, holding her close and marveling that all his future happiness could be contained in such a delicate package.

"You're here," she whispered, as if part of her had really thought he wouldn't be. It was a testament to all the crap he'd pulled over the years that she'd been suspicious despite the constant checking in. But then, he supposed he could have pulled a trip off if he'd tried.

"Nowhere else I'd rather be," he whispered back, burying his face in her hair.

After a moment, he lifted his head to grin at Cho. "Staying for dinner?"

"Yeah. Smells good," Cho replied. "Fischer will be here in a minute."

"Ah. A working dinner, then." Jane was disappointed, but he knew he shouldn't have been surprised. Lisbon let go of him, but she stayed close enough that their shoulders touched.

Cho nodded. "Your plan didn't work. We need to reevaluate."

"My plan hasn't worked yet," Jane corrected. "You need to have patience."

"It's not me you have to convince," Cho said.

Abbott, Jane thought. He probably wanted his "asset" back on the job as soon as possible.

A knock at the door forced him into the kitchen while Cho answered it. He heard Fischer's voice as he was taking the roast out of the oven, and a moment later she came into the kitchen carrying a foil-covered casserole dish.

"It didn't seem right to come visit a grieving friend empty-handed. Where I come from, we bring casseroles. So, um, I'll just put it in the fridge."

"What is it?" Jane asked. He wasn't sure he had enough side dishes for four.

"It's a cheesy potato bake. Comfort food."

"Great. Does it need warmed up?" He set the roast on the stove and reached for it.

"Yeah." She looked pleased as he took the dish and slid it into the oven, turning the heat down. "Can I help?"

"You can toss the salad." He nodded toward the salad bowl and tongs.

Lisbon and Cho joined them, helping get dinner on the table. Jane gave Fischer and Cho things to carry, keeping Lisbon back for a moment for a stolen kiss. She kissed him back with enthusiasm, but pulled away to join the others long before he was ready to stop. "Later," she whispered, which made his body tingle with anticipation.

Jane preferred not to discuss business at the table, but his three companions had no such qualms. They had barely started eating before Cho said, "So. What now?"

"Nothing suspicious happened?" Fischer asked.

"Not a thing," Lisbon said. "And I was alone at the grave for almost half an hour."

"What?" Jane interrupted, appalled.

She looked at him in surprise. "We had to leave an opening. It wasn't likely anybody would come after me when I was with another agent."

Jane resolved that this was the last time he let her put herself out there as bait without him there to minimize the amount of danger she was willing to risk. "What on earth did you do for half an hour?"

"Prayed for your soul," she replied.

Jane was touched, but he couldn't resist teasing her gently. "That only took half an hour? Gave up, did you?"

"No." She gave him a sour look. "I've been at it for twelve years. Why would I give up now?"

Fischer tried to change the subject. "It looks like we either moved too fast, or Lisbon's not the target."

"Or," Jane said, "he's clever enough to know we suspect something and is biding his time, waiting for you to get impatient and go back to normal. He's waiting for Lisbon to start her life again, for you two to stop watching over her. Just when you're all sure nothing's going to happen, he'll sneak in here one night and take her."

They looked back at him with varying degrees of skepticism and concern. Then Cho said, "So you're planning to hide out here until that happens? How long?"

Jane noted the flare of panic in Lisbon's eyes and suppressed a sigh. "That depends. Given Lisbon's tendency to suppress her emotions and soldier on, probably not more than a week."

"I'll go back to work tomorrow," Lisbon said, to Jane's great disappointment.

"Good," Fischer said. "Is there anything we can do to speed this up? Abbott is beginning to wonder if Jane made this up to get a vacation."

"I didn't," Jane said, "but tell him I appreciate the backhanded compliment. You need to keep an eye on Lisbon without being obvious about it. It'll be easier to do that at work. Just keep in mind that she is at risk and that any situation could be a trap meant for her."

Lisbon looked surprised, but Jane knew she was itching to get back to work. Keeping her cooped up with him would only make her grumpy and stressed, all of which she would take out on him. For the sake of their relationship, he had to resign himself to more days without her. Hopefully not many.

Fischer said, "One of us will be with her whenever we're in the field. Oh my God, what did you put in these carrots?"

"A little of this, a little of that," Jane answered. "My compliments on the potatoes, by the way."

"Thank you. My grandmother always said you should take comfort food to a house in mourning. That was her recipe."

Jane could read that she and her grandmother had been very close, and that she had died a few years ago—long enough that she could control her emotional reaction to the loss, but not long enough for the pain to have faded. But he decided not to comment on it, more concerned with Lisbon.

Swallowing her bite of meat, Lisbon said, "It's delicious, Kim. And the rest of the meal too, Jane. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Play your cards right and I'll pack you a lunch tomorrow."

She smiled. "Good to know you plan to earn your keep, since apparently I'm stuck with you for a while."

"I'll make it as painless as possible," he promised, winking at her.

"Can you not flirt while I'm eating?" Cho said, which made Fischer choke trying not to laugh and Lisbon blush.

"Sorry to interfere with your digestion, Cho." Jane was amused, but even if he hadn't been, he was in the man's debt enough to let him give him a hard time with no thought of retaliation. "Maybe you'd like a lunch for tomorrow as well?"

Lisbon said, "Since you aren't helping with cases, feeding us is the least you can do."

"Lunches for everyone. Got it. And I'm happy to look over any case files you bring home. I'm starved for good reading material. I may have lost IQ points trying to decipher that management book I pulled off your shelves, Lisbon."

A smile tugged at Cho's mouth, but Lisbon rolled her eyes. "That's because you're not interested in managing people. You'd rather make them dance to your tune like a puppeteer."

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to," Jane said. He didn't mind her snarkiness; he was glad to see her acting normally. He surmised she was relieved to have the fake funeral over with and was looking forward to getting back to work. And, hopefully, looking forward to making up for lost time in bed tonight.

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly enough, and Jane packed up leftovers for Cho and Fischer, leaving the choicest bits for Lisbon's lunch. He cleaned up the dishes while she saw them out, working quickly so he could be done when she came into the kitchen.

"Alone at last," he said, closing the dishwasher.

Lisbon walked over to him, reached up to pull his head down to her, and kissed him fiercely, sliding her tongue along the roof of his mouth and making a little moaning sound that sent a jolt of electricity down his spine. He let her take control, willing to go where she led.

When she pulled back to breathe, she said, "Thank you for helping me get to sleep last night."

"Likewise, my dear. I don't think I would have gotten a wink of sleep if you hadn't called." He stroked her hair, memorizing the silky texture.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you, you know," she said, looking earnestly at him. "Just because I think it's too soon to move in together doesn't mean we can't spend most of our nights together. Either here or at your place. Once you come back to life, anyway."

He kissed her tenderly. "Good. Because I have spent enough nights without you to last me a lifetime. We can be together as much as you want. Call, and I'll come. Throw me out when you need to. If you hurt my feelings, you can make it up to me later."

She smiled a little wryly. "I guess that's the advantage of being with someone who already knows me so well. I don't have to be on my best behavior. And neither do you."

"No. We can just be ourselves. Which is obviously a prerequisite for any long-term relationship." He was glad for the chance to point this out. "Our future isn't mysterious, Teresa. It's just us, being ourselves together. We'll bicker about cases and snark at each other about whose turn it is to take out the trash and be there for each other when things get rough. Not to mention drive each other crazy sometimes, in both the good and bad sense."

"So...just business as usual, plus sex." She looked both amused and skeptical.

"Pretty much. Would you be okay with that? Or were you envisioning something else?"

Lisbon frowned. "I wasn't really envisioning anything. I don't...I'm not one of those women who start thinking about marrying a guy on the second date. I never thought about being with Marcus long-term."

He knew that was a lie, because she'd initially rejected him on the grounds that Marcus could be the one. Or...of course. She hadn't thought Marcus was her future; she'd just used that as an excuse because she was terrified of being with the one man who could break her heart. It was important not to rush her, to give her time to let go of her fears. "When you're ready, I'd really like you to think about it."

He grinned at her startled expression; had she expected him to push harder? Probably, given how insistent he could be about cases. He would show her he was much less controlling when it came to their romance. "And in the meanwhile, I suggest an early bedtime." He waggled his eyebrows to make her laugh.

She did, beaming at him. "Reunion sex. What's that like with you?"

"That depends on how long the separation lasted. Tonight I was hoping for slow and sweet, face to face. But I haven't forgotten that you promised to masturbate for me." He couldn't help grinning at the thought.

She blushed a little, and he was pleased by the realization that she'd never done that with anyone else. He'd save it for when they didn't have the stress of being hunted weighing on them. He was thrilled when she replied, "I always keep my promises. Will you do it for me, too?"

He pulled her back into his arms, letting her feel how excited he was at the thought. "I'd be delighted."

"We can do whatever you want. This is your reward for good behavior," she reminded him, her flush deepening as she rubbed herself against him.

"No, no. I don't want a quid pro quo. When we make love, it should be about our love, not some sort of doggy treat. Just because I sat and stayed doesn't mean you reward me with a bone." The last thing he wanted in this early stage was for sex to become transactional. Some of that might happen eventually, but he didn't want them to start out that way.

"Okay." She got that adorable little crinkle between her brows as she thought through what he was saying. "But I do feel extra generous, since you did something hard to make me happy. And there's a boner joke on the tip of my tongue that I can't quite get."

He chuckled. "Let me see if I can find it." He kissed her, sucking on her tongue and smiling as he felt her nipples harden against his chest, anticipating the same treatment. He shifted his hands from her lower back to cup her breasts, kneading gently. She arched into his palms, wanting a firmer touch. "Have you healed from that first night? Let me see."

She nimbly unbuttoned her blouse, then unhooked the front clasp of her bra. He immediately pushed the cups aside to examine her pale skin. The marks from his beard had faded completely, but he could still see some of his bites. He would avoid those areas, he resolved, gently hefting her breasts in his hands and then rubbing his thumbs over her nipples until they jutted out as far as they would go. Then he bent to take each into his mouth, sucking and gently scraping them with his teeth. Lisbon threw her head back and moaned, long and low.

"Upstairs," she managed to gasp. "How's your arm?"

"I feel great," he assured her, keeping his lips against her skin and feeling her shiver. Then he reluctantly pulled away and let her lead him upstairs, where they quickly shed their clothes and crawled into bed. Jane greatly enjoyed watching Lisbon's breasts jiggle as she moved and the firm globes of her ass when she turned to get into bed. He was still stunned by how beautiful she was, and he hoped he would never, ever take it for granted.

They moved gracefully together, both savoring each other's presence. Lisbon wanted to rub herself against the entire length of his body, which he found almost unbearably sexy; he took his time with her breasts, careful not to bite this time, while he worked his fingers into her folds until he could trap her clit between them and toy with it. He made careful note of her reactions as he stroked, flicked, and pulled it, learning what she liked and what she felt overwhelmed by.

"In. Now," she ordered breathlessly, but he just grinned and rubbed his thumb over the end of her clit. Two strokes and her hips leapt off the bed as she came hard. Jane repositioned himself while keeping his hand in place, taking two tries to slide into her because she was moving so much.

"Now, now," she was crying, and he pushed in with one long stroke, holding her hips down as she squirmed in the last throes of her climax. She pulsed around him, hot and slick, and he gritted his teeth to resist the urge to come immediately. Holding as still as he could, he swiveled his hips gently to prolong the pleasure for her while he watched her face relax. Eyes glowing, she smiled up at him, her lips trembling a little.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

"I love you," she whispered back. Then she rolled her hips, urging him to get moving.

He took it slow, drawing out the delicious torture until he thought his head would explode. Lisbon was making a whining sound as she tried to force him to speed up. "Jane, come on!" she burst out in frustration. It was such a familiar complaint that he had to smile.

"I thought you were feeling generous," he teased.

"You're driving me crazy," she complained.

"See? I told you how it would be." He couldn't resist a smug smile. Then he let out a startled squawk as she gave him a sharp smack on the ass. He nearly came right then.

"Ah ha," she said in triumph, shifting her legs higher up his back so she could spank him again.

"Evil woman," he growled, speeding up despite himself.

"Not evil," she panted, "just a little naughty. I thought you'd like that."

"I do," he gasped. "Oh, Teresa. Tell me you're close."

"Give it to me good and hard and I'm there," she promised.

He paused for a second to gather himself, then pulled nearly all the way out and slammed in. Her breathy squeak told him he needed to lean into it more, so he put his weight into his next thrust, then reached down and found her straining clit to finish her off. Her scream echoed off the walls, and he groaned in relief as he spilled into her.

When she'd caught her breath a little, Lisbon sighed, "I should have spanked you years ago."

He snickered. "You're discovering all my deep, dark secrets. Come here." He rolled off her and rearranged them so they were lying comfortably in each other's arms. Normally Lisbon pulled away as she fell asleep, but tonight he hoped she'd stay in his arms a while longer.

She kissed his cheek sweetly and tucked her face against his shoulder. "That was worth waiting for."

"Good. You remember that tomorrow when Marcus is being all nice and sympathetic."

Lisbon snorted. "You can't still be jealous."

"I can, and I will. I'll be jealous of any man you have a soft spot for until you have a ring on your finger." Oops. That was probably a little too much post-coital honesty.

She sighed, one hand moving to toy with the curls at the nape of his neck. "When you come back from the dead," she said, pulling back to look at him, "you can buy a ring."

"Really?" He'd never been so happy to be surprised.

"I had time to think while I was gone. You have a point: we already know each other as well as we're going to, probably. And we've lost a lot of time already. Just...don't expect me to set a date right away, okay?"

He kissed her. "No pressure, love. And I'll make sure we have a proper proposal. Nothing public or embarrassing, just something special for the two of us. And if you aren't comfortable wearing the ring in public right away, I understand." He couldn't promise to be okay with it, but he'd understand.

"Thank you. I...I don't want Marcus to think I was just using him, or something. But you have nothing to be jealous of, I promise."

"I know. It's just the one thing I can't be reasonable about. But I'll try not to be an ass about it."

She smiled. "I can deal with you being an ass. As long as you're my ass."

"I am." He kissed her again. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"I don't usually eat breakfast."

"I know, but I won't be there to make sure you get your morning pastry," he pointed out.

"I'll try to eat whatever you fix," she yawned.

He rubbed her back soothingly as he yawned in response. "Go to sleep, love." Going to bed so early, maybe they'd be up early enough to greet the day by making love, he hoped.

"Love you," she murmured against his neck.

"I love you too," he whispered, drifting off.

mmm

The alarm woke them the next morning, setting off a frantic scramble to get Lisbon ready for work. Jane pointed out that she should skip her makeup, since she was supposed to be grieving and upset; she retorted that not eating fit that scenario nicely. They compromised with her wearing only a little mascara and lip gloss and eating a small bowl of cereal. Then all too soon she was gone, and Jane was facing another day of solitary confinement.

He stripped the bed and put the sheets in the wash, then went back into the study in the vain hope of finding decent reading material. While he was in there staring at the bookshelves, the power cut out. Jane started to go to the fuse box, but froze when he heard the door open. It took him a second to realize it was the back door, which was weird. The back door opened into the kitchen, so the gun there was out of reach. He needed to get upstairs or take his chances with the unloaded rifle in the coat closet.

Opting for the latter, he'd barely gotten the rifle out when he heard a floorboard creak nearby and spun around, bringing the rifle up. A handgun was the first thing he saw, and then he blinked in surprise at the person holding it.

"Well, aren't you looking good for a dead guy," Richard Haibach said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! This story has turned into way more than the little romantic tale I originally planned, so it's been great to have feedback to keep my muse fed. And we've almost made it through the hiatus, yay!

**Chapter 12**

Jane hoped Lisbon's alarm company would alert her or the police—preferably both—that her power was out. Though he was less alarmed by Haibach than he would have been by Volker, he still felt an appropriate level of concern at having only an unloaded rifle to protect himself. Well, and his wits, which had always been his best weapon.

"Glad to see you've recovered from Kirkland's interrogation technique," Jane said.

"Yeah, well, I learned something from all that."

"I can see that. I'd never have pegged you as coming up with such a convoluted, expansive revenge scheme. How did you fund it all?"

Haibach gave a sneering smile. "You. It was your stupid list that lost me my thumb. I sued the state of California for a couple million dollars. They settled, since they just wanted all that CBI crap out of the news."

"Ah." Jane refused to apologize to this evil little man; he doubted it would do any good anyway. "So now what? I take it you weren't expecting to find me here. Planning to lie in wait for Lisbon?"

"Yeah. But now it'll be better than I planned. I can't wait to see her face when she opens the door and finds her boyfriend's brains splattered all over her rug."

"I can't say I'm enthusiastic about my role in this tableau. But I'm curious as to how you're going to manage that, since, to put it bluntly, my gun is bigger than yours." Jane made a small gesture with the rifle. "And you seem to have forgotten your silencer, so killing me will bring Austin PD in here, ruining your little ambush plan."

"I wasn't expecting you," Haibach admitted. "Guess I'll have to adapt. I've gotten pretty good at that. Do you have any idea how hard it is to manage without your right thumb?"

"No, I'm happy to say," Jane replied.

"I'm glad you're alive. Because now I get the chance to kill you myself. But first, I think I'll show you how it feels to be tied up and helpless while somebody cuts your thumb off."

"Really? I made you a rich man, and you decide to use that money to get yourself killed or thrown in jail for life? You know what guys in prison do to pedophiles?" Jane shook his head. "This isn't a smart plan, Richard. And why Ardiles? He had nothing to do with Kirkland torturing you."

Haibach blinked, and Jane had his answer. "Oh. I see. This wasn't your idea."

"What? Of course it was!" Haibach protested.

"No. You fantasized about getting even with me and my colleagues, but once you got your settlement, you should have relocated to someplace where people aren't so careful with their kids. That compulsion is far more powerful than revenge for a mistake. Somebody got to you, sidled up to you one day and whispered in your ear how great it would be to get even. Then you could get on with your new life. And they'd help you. They had connections and money and could help you with all the details you didn't know how to handle."

Haibach looked stunned for a moment. Then he sneered. "I heard you were some kind of psychic. Think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

"I have my moments."

"And I bet you don't want to go to prison for shooting me."

Jane grinned. "This is Texas, and you broke into this house. They'll probably give me a medal for blowing your head off. I certainly won't be arrested, much less tried. This is all over, Richard. Run while you can. I've shot and killed three men, but none of them in the back."

Haibach blinked again, rapidly. Jane could see he was at a loss, so he decided to help him reach the logical conclusion. "You can get out of here before Austin PD crashes in here because you cut the alarm. You think a cop like Lisbon would buy anything less than a premium alarm system? You just better hope Austin PD gets here before she does. Trust me, she hates it when people break in. And she was really unhappy about Ardiles. Take your money and run, Richard. Find a big city overseas and disappear."

Haibach wavered, and when sirens became audible, he began to sweat. "No. I'm at least going to kill you, you arrogant bastard."

"You'll be killing yourself too. Trust me; I've been to jail. You won't last a week." Jane shifted the rifle. "And I assume you haven't shot anyone before, so I have the advantage of you there. This close, I can't really miss." He had an idea and lowered the rifle to target Haibach's groin. "In fact, I really should just shoot you. Make sure your last victim really is your last."

Jane read Haibach's intent to fire a split second before the gun went off, just in time to dive to the side. In a move that would have made Lisbon proud, he used the rifle to swing at Haibach's legs, toppling him. He was quicker at scrambling to his feet, and he brought the rifle butt crashing down on Haibach's balls, which ended the confrontation abruptly.

Jane kicked the abandoned handgun out of reach and waited, ready to strike again if necessary, until Austin PD kicked in the door and began shouting at him to lower his weapon and get down on his stomach. He hoped Lisbon wasn't too far behind. He really disliked this part.

mmm

Not five minutes later, Lisbon sprinted through the remnants of her front door, gun drawn and eyes wide with terror. Jane, who'd managed to stay within view of the door, ended her suspense by calling, "Lisbon."

"Jane! Are you okay?" She holstered her weapon at the sight of him sitting on the couch, while the uniformed cops stood beside a cursing, cuffed Haibach in the opposite corner of the room. She ignored that for a moment, coming over to him and laying a hand on his arm. He raised his free hand to caress her elbow, then slid it along her arm until their fingers tangled. Her clasp was white knuckled.

"Perfectly fine. Though I'm afraid the word is out that I'm still alive." He smiled reassuringly at her. "And I think we'd better stay at my place until your door is fixed. And they get the power back on."

Lisbon looked around, taking in the scene in detail now that she knew he was safe. When her gaze landed on Haibach, her eyes narrowed, and she let go of Jane's hand and stalked over to him in a way that didn't bode well for his chances of survival.

"Did you kill Osvaldo Ardiles?" Lisbon demanded.

Jane was reluctantly impressed that Haibach didn't cower. But sneering at Lisbon was always a mistake. "I'm only sorry I didn't get to finish your pretty boy too."

Lisbon's hands clenched into fists, and for a moment Jane thought she was going to break Haibach's nose. She didn't, though. "Yeah? He was too much for you? You should be glad I wasn't home, or you'd be bleeding out right now. Nobody hunts my friends and gets away with it."

"This isn't over," Haibach said.

"Yes it is," Lisbon retorted. She turned to one of the uniformed cops and said, "Could you get him out of here?"

"Watch him closely," Jane advised.

Lisbon frowned, coming back over to Jane. "What?" she asked, looking closely at him.

"I just think he didn't do all this by himself," Jane said, mindful that their new status as an exclusive couple meant she expected to be kept in the loop.

She frowned. "You think he has an accomplice?"

"Maybe. Or at least employees."

Lisbon frowned. "I'll get Abbott to ask Austin PD to let Cho interrogate him."

Jane nodded. "And if that doesn't work, I'll take another crack at him. By the way, may I suggest we keep the rifle loaded from now on?"

She glanced around, finding the rifle propped against the wall. "Why didn't you grab one of the handguns?"

"No time."

"So you confronted him with an unloaded weapon?" Lisbon looked both disturbed and angry.

"I was more the confrontee, but yes," he said. "Strictly out of necessity, Lisbon. I would much rather have snuck up behind him with a loaded gun."

"God," she sighed, closing her eyes. He reached for her hand again, giving it a comforting squeeze, and started to lean in for a quick kiss but stopped when he saw Cho come into the house.

"You okay?" Cho asked him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks."

"Haibach. Who'd've thought?" Cho looked at Jane curiously.

"Yes. Not the first person who comes to mind when confronted with a technologically savvy, wide ranging conspiracy, is he?" Jane mused. "I wonder if he has an alibi for any of the other killings?"

"No. That's why we were still looking at him," Cho said. "You think he's a decoy?"

"A sacrificed pawn, perhaps. Not the mastermind, I don't think."

Lisbon said, "I want you to take a crack at him, Cho. If you don't mind." She added the last hastily, obviously remembering too late that she was no longer his boss.

Cho nodded. "I'll crack him. You should take Jane to the office, let Abbott and Fischer know you're okay."

"Yeah, after I clean up here." Lisbon looked around her house unhappily.

Cho left, and Lisbon went to talk to the cops. Jane decided to make himself useful by packing her a bag to take to his place, making a note to get some groceries on their way. At least that was one good thing about rejoining the living: he'd get to buy his own groceries. And, of course, spend the day working with Lisbon again.

Carefully choosing some underwear for her, he finally found her vibrator, tucked beneath a lacy confection that instantly made his blood heat. Smiling, he packed both. Getting Haibach off the street deserved some celebration, after all.

mmm

Abbott was all smiles when they got to the office. "Welcome back. I hope you're ready to get back to work, Jane. We have a case that could use your input."

Jane, who had greatly enjoyed his resurrection on their way through the lobby, smiled back. "Then you're in luck. I'd enjoy an intellectual challenge. However, my first concern is still Lisbon's safety."

"Richard Haibach is safely in custody and Tommy Volker is dead. Who are you worried about?" Fischer asked.

"I was never very worried about Haibach, and I'm not convinced Volker really is dead. Not to mention the fact that it's possible neither of them is responsible for the surveillance or attacks on us." Jane wanted some evidence. He wasn't going to trust Lisbon's safety to assumptions.

"Fair enough. We'll keep surveillance on both of you until we have more answers," Abbott said. "In the meantime, I think you'll be safe enough in Santa Fe. You leave in an hour. Lisbon, I'll make sure your door is repaired tonight."

"Thank you," she said.

"Get packed. Fischer will brief you on the way."

mmm

Three days in Santa Fe left Jane exhausted and unhappy. It had taken two of his schemes to flush out the killer, and Lisbon had taken exception to what she characterized as inappropriate touching in front of local law enforcement and banished him to his own room their last night there.

Meanwhile, Grace had called to report that she'd found a money trail from Haibach to the man who'd shot Jane in the FBI safe house, while Cho, who'd stayed in Austin, had interrogated the man relentlessly without getting him to admit to any accomplices, though he willingly confessed to the electronic surveillance. The Rigsby family had come out of hiding, and Jane had no doubt Abbott would call off the surveillance on himself and Lisbon, if he hadn't already. Since he still had a bad feeling, he needed to make sure Lisbon stayed on her guard, preferably in his presence.

"My place or yours?" he asked as they made their way through the Austin airport.

"We're both tired. How about we regroup tomorrow?" she suggested.

"But I won't be able to sleep by myself."

"You did it for years. I'm sure you can figure it out."

He looked at her closely, hoping she was just teasing him. "What's wrong?"

Lisbon sighed. "Nothing. I'm just tired. I need some downtime."

"Okay." He didn't like it, but Lisbon needed a certain amount of alone time, and she hadn't been getting it lately. "Call me when you get home, please? And be careful."

Her expression softened. "I'll call you."

"And remember you can always come over. Anytime, day or night."

"I'll remember." She glanced around, then gave him a quick kiss before heading to a cab.

Jane sighed. Then he decided that he didn't feel like going home to his empty Airstream, so he would run some errands on the way. After all, she'd said he could buy her a ring, and he'd promised her a proper proposal. Whether the threat to them was removed or not, he was done wasting time.

His phone rang just as he was walking into the jewelry store he'd made note of, a family owned business that specialized in unique pieces. "Home safe?" he asked Lisbon.

"Yes," Lisbon assured him. "The front door is good as new, the alarm system is working, and I've been through every room in the house. All secure. Are you home yet?"

"No, I decided to run some errands, pick up a few things. Say, you never did tell me whether you want a diamond solitaire or something less obvious." He saw that the store had several lovely emerald rings to choose from, though he was a diamond man himself.

"Are you...are you seriously looking at rings?" She sounded shocked; he hoped that didn't mean she was going to backpedal on the whole engagement idea.

"I am. Care to join me?"

"I don't know anything about jewelry," she admitted after a moment. "Just surprise me. You like that better anyway."

"Hm." He'd hoped she'd take more of an interest, but he wasn't surprised. The only jewelry she regularly wore was her cross necklace, and when she donned earrings they were simple studs. She wasn't interested in decking herself out. "All right then. Get some rest, love. Text me before you go to bed, please?"

"Okay. Text me when you get home so I know you're safe," she instructed.

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

He looked up to find a sales lady smiling at him. "How may I help you?" she asked.

mmm

Jane spent over an hour looking at rings before making his purchase. The gold Claddagh ring hadn't been his first choice, but the more he tried to envision various gems on Lisbon's slim finger, the more he realized something less showy was required. Since they both had Irish ancestry, this was appropriate, and the symbolism of love, friendship, and loyalty would appeal to her. He smiled at the weight of the box in his pocket as he stopped by the grocery store to restock his supplies.

The first thing he did when he walked in the door of the Airstream was to text her that he'd arrived and was in for the night. She responded promptly, so he knew she'd been waiting to hear from him, but his hopes that the separation had already been sufficient were dashed when she texted that she was going to bed now and wished him sweet dreams.

At least there was something good to read and plenty of tea. He could keep himself occupied until he was drowsy enough to catch a couple of winks.

It was nearly midnight when there was a knock on his door. Jane frowned, then moved to the front to get his gun from the glovebox before glancing out the window. His heart stuttered as he recognized Lisbon.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, pushing the door open and stepping back to urge her inside.

"Nothing," she assured him. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Why didn't you call?" She seemed jittery, so he wasn't convinced all was well.

"I didn't want to wake you. I thought I'd just see if your lights were on. And they are, so I knocked. Didn't mean to startle you."

He put the gun back where it belonged and smiled at her. "You can startle me in the middle of the night anytime, Teresa. Have a seat. Tea?"

"No thanks." She sat down at the table, picking up his book and rolling her eyes. "And you criticize my taste in reading. Anthropology, Jane? Seriously?"

"My interests are eclectic," he replied. "You never know what might come in handy. Besides, I'm surprised. With a title like _Guns, Germs, and Steel_, I'd think you'd like it. At least two out of three."

"I don't read about guns. I prefer hands-on learning."

That made him grin. "I hope that applies to me, too."

She grinned back, which set his mind more at ease. "I didn't come over for that. But I think I've proven I'm perfectly willing to put my hands on you."

He was a little disappointed that she was apparently taking sex off the table for tonight, but he would take what he could get. Asking why she was here wouldn't necessarily enlighten him, though. "Good. Because I'd like very much to fall asleep in your arms."

"Me too." But she didn't make a move toward the bed, and she didn't have a bag with her, so that wasn't it. She wanted something else. But what?

Oh. He smiled as it came to him: She was curious about the ring. That was why she couldn't sleep and why she'd come over in the middle of the night but wasn't interested in going to bed. "Just ask me," he encouraged her.

"Ask you what? For a cuddle?"

"The answer to that will always be yes. But I meant, you can ask me about the ring if you're curious."

She blushed a delicate shade of pink. "Did you find anything you liked?"

"I did." This was too much fun, he thought.

"And did you actually buy it?"

"Yes."

She swallowed hard. "It's...not something huge, is it?"

"No, love. It's perfect for you. Not something you'll be embarrassed to wear, I promise." He decided to stop teasing her, since there was real trepidation in her eyes. "Would you like to see it?"

She hesitated. "I thought you had your heart set on some big proposal."

"No. I said it would be a proper proposal. Which means that I will get down on one knee, like this." He loved the way her eyes got big with shock as he knelt. "And put the question to you in its correct form. After, of course, bringing out the ring."

He pulled the box out of his jacket pocket, a little alarmed that she didn't seem to be breathing anymore. "Breathe, Teresa."

Her eyes never left the box, but she took a deep breath and tried for a smile. He had a moment of doubt about the wisdom of his timing, but he had no choice but to go ahead with it now. Lifting the box lid, he said, "Teresa Lisbon, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Her breathing hitched, and her eyes grew shiny with unshed tears as she stared at the intricately carved gold ring without a gemstone in sight. The way her pupils dilated told him he'd guessed right, but every second that passed without her saying "yes" was making him more nervous.

Finally he couldn't stand it any more and took the ring carefully out of the box, watching her closely for any sign that he should stop. But she let him slide it on her left ring finger with no resistance, blinking hard while she watched.

"Teresa," he said gently, wanting her to look at him. She didn't seem to hear him, so he said a little more loudly, "Lisbon."

Startled, she blinked and focused on him. He smiled reassuringly and said, "My knees are begging you to give me an answer."

"Yes," she whispered, wiping at her eyes with her right hand since he was still holding her left.

He pressed a kiss against her knuckles, then leaned forward to reach her lips. He could taste salt as more tears fell, but he knew she was overwhelmed, not unhappy. After a moment, he pulled away, then got to his feet, pulling her up into his arms. "You've made me so happy," he whispered hoarsely. He thought he might shed a few tears himself.

She pulled back after a minute or so and wiped at her face to remove the last traces of her tears. "I'm happy," she assured him. "I'm really happy."

"Good." He blinked his own wet eyes. "If you want a diamond, I'm happy to—"

"No. No, this is perfect. It's all I want. My grandmother had one, but in silver, and I always loved it." She ran her fingertips over it with a trembling smile.

"Then you know the meanings of the different positions. So you don't have to take it off if you don't want to announce our engagement. You can just move it to your right hand to signify you're in a relationship." He really hoped she wouldn't, but it was better than her taking it off altogether if she was uncomfortable.

"You think of everything," she chuckled. "Only you would buy someone an engagement ring thinking about how to hide it."

"Probably," he admitted. "But only because I know you'll feel better knowing you have the option. Though I don't think anybody is going to be shocked, or think it's too soon."

"Maybe not, but they're going to think I dropped Marcus because you crooked your finger and I came running." She grimaced at the thought.

"I went to considerably more effort than that," he pointed out.

"Yes, you did." She paused to kiss him. "And I love you for it."

"Don't worry so much about what people think, love. This is none of their business." He stroked her hair, then leaned in for a kiss. When they parted, he murmured, "Come to bed."

She smiled, looking up at him from under her lashes. "But I didn't bring anything to sleep in," she teased.

"I suppose I could loan you a shirt," he replied. "But just this once. And I might need it back sometime before we get up."

"Guess I'll have to take my chances." She grinned, then tugged at his hand, towing him toward the bed.

"I thought you didn't come over for sex?" he asked as she pulled her shirt off and unfastened her bra, tossing them both on the floor.

"I didn't come over to get engaged, either. This evening's been full of surprises."

He could learn to like adventurous Lisbon, he decided. His fiancée. That in itself implied a certain willingness to take chances. "It certainly has."

"We have to work tomorrow," she reminded him. "So let's make it fast." She laid her gun on the night table, then unfastened her jeans and slid them down. After toeing off her shoes and stepping out of the jeans, she stood in front of him in only her underwear. "Are you just going to stand there staring at me?"

He grinned. "As much as I'm enjoying it, no. It would take a much stupider man than I to pass up a chance to make love with you."

"Then get naked. Now."

"Yes, ma'am." He shrugged off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt while Lisbon watched, her smile edged with a hunger that made his heart race. "If giving you jewelry makes you hot, I'll have to do it more often."

Her expression softened. "It's not the jewelry, Patrick. It's the promise. No more running off, no more secret plots and unilateral action. Right? It's us, all the time, no matter what. From now on, no exceptions." She peeled off her panties, the scent of her arousal reaching him.

He finished stripping off his clothes, his erection pointing at her as if straining to reach its favorite place. "No exceptions. I guess I'll have to make do with surprising Fischer and Abbott. At least at work. Can I still surprise you at home?"

"All you want. Within reason," she added quickly. "Right now I'd really like you to surprise me by shutting up and getting on with it." She settled herself on the bed, spreading her legs enticingly.

"You're such a romantic," he teased, crawling onto the bed on all fours.

"You said this relationship was about being ourselves. And right now I'm horny and getting frustrated. I don't need foreplay tonight. Come on." She gave him what would have been a glare if her pupils hadn't been so dilated.

"You'll let me romance you later?" He held himself above her.

"Some night when we don't have work the next day," she promised. Then she sat up a little so she could reach down and take a firm hold on his cock.

He sucked in his breath at the rush of pleasure her slim, strong fingers brought him as they stroked and squeezed. Then she tugged on him, making him yelp, and pushed the tip inside her. Instinct took over from there, and he pushed further in, wriggling a little as he met resistance. She wasn't nearly as wet as he was used to, and he worried he might be hurting her.

"God, you feel good," she moaned. "Come on, come on."

He felt himself get even harder and began thrusting, setting up a fast rhythm that seemed to satisfy her, to judge by the way she moaned and thrashed beneath him. "I want to learn everything you like," he panted. "I'm going to be the last man you ever make love with. I'm going to be your husband. Oh, I can't wait to marry you. I never thought I'd be this happy again, Teresa."

"Patrick," she gasped. "I—I'm—"

He recognized the urgency in her voice and repositioned his knees, shifting his hips so he could brush her clit with each stroke. Lisbon gave a keening wail and came, her walls clutching at him and making the friction unbearable. Jane made a noise that was almost a roar as he emptied himself into her, and they stuttered to a stop, coming to rest with identical sighs of satisfaction.

When he tried to pull out so he could move his weight off her, she wrapped her arms and legs around him to hold him in place. "Stay," she whispered.

He kissed her damp forehead. "Okay. Okay."

She pressed her face against his neck, her breath puffing against his skin and raising goosebumps. After a minute, he murmured, "What's wrong, love?"

"Promise me we're going to be okay," she said, her grip tightening. "Promise you won't let me screw this up. Because I don't want it to end, ever, but I don't know how that works."

He sprinkled kisses in her hair. "It's okay, darling. It's going to be okay. Better than okay. It's going to be amazing. There'll be times you want to strangle me, and there'll be times I want to shake you. But we know how to get past that. Forever isn't one big thing. It's just one day after another, and every day we'll choose to love each other, forgive each other, for one more day. All we have to do is trust each other and talk to each other. I won't let you run me off because you're scared, and you won't let me drive us both crazy when I get jealous."

"Okay," she yawned, then made an unhappy sound as he pulled out of her and rolled to his side. She curled up with him, lifting her head for a kiss before settling down again.

Jane nestled his nose in her hair, his breathing slowing as he dozed off, still smiling.

mmm

They both slept soundly until Lisbon's cell phone alarm went off the next morning. Jane groaned in protest as Lisbon extracted herself from his embrace, saying, "I need to go home and change."

Jane came fully awake. "Wait. I'll come with you."

"Why? I'll see you at the office." She began pulling on her clothes.

"I want to go with you," he repeated, sitting up. "There might still be someone after us."

"I'm a cop, Jane. I'll be careful." She gave him a smile as she slid her gun into its holster. "I promise. Just go straight to the office, okay? No need to give Abbott an aneurysm."

He sighed, but if she was on her guard she should be safe. And she didn't look willing to wait for him. "Text me when you get home."

"Fine. Don't be late." Fully dressed now, she bent to kiss him, lifting her left hand to stroke his cheek. He felt the ring brush his skin and smiled, hoping she would still be wearing it there when he saw her again.

"Love you," he said.

"Love you too." She smiled at him, and then she was out the door. He heard her car drive off a moment later and sighed, then hauled himself into the shower.

He was drying his hair when he got Lisbon's text saying she was home and would see him in half an hour. He texted back that he'd have a pastry and coffee waiting for her and began scrambling his eggs, humming a little as he put the kettle on. He was pretty sure they'd end up living in Lisbon's house most of the time, but he wondered if he could convince her to widen her driveway to accommodate the Airstream. That way he wouldn't have far to go when she needed to kick him out for a few hours.

Breakfast done, he ate quickly, poured himself a travel mug of tea, and set out for the nearest bakery. It was rush hour, but he was on the outskirts of town, and there weren't usually many other cars on this road at any time of day. So the big beige SUV coming up fast behind him caught his attention. When it got close to him and slowed rather than passing him, his suspicions were confirmed. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Lisbon's number, but as it began to ring, the SUV crashed into his car. Jane dropped the phone, needing both hands to stay on the road as he sped up.

Over the roar of the engine, he could just make out the start of Lisbon's voicemail message. He glanced over at the phone, planning to shout a message, when another impact sent the car spinning into the ditch. Jane heard rather than saw the airbag go off before something slammed into the side of his head and everything went black.

mmm

**A/N:** That should be it for the cliffies! I'm hoping to get the next chapter up before the new episode, so you shouldn't have a long wait. Thanks for hanging in there!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much for all the encouragement! Sorry it took so long! I really struggled with this story and finally decided you'd rather be put out of your suspense with a shorter chapter than wait for my muse and I to finish wrestling with the rest of it. I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 13**

Pain throbbed through Jane's skull, making thought impossible until he got his breathing under control. Gradually he became aware that one side of his head was sticky with blood, but he didn't feel anything dripping, so hopefully the bleeding had stopped. How long had he been out?

Opening his eyes was difficult; the light hurt, and the left one seemed to be surrounded by swelling. He tried to lift a hand to assess the damage and found that his wrists were cuffed behind him, securing him to the metal pole he was leaning up against. He blinked to clear his vision and realized he was in an unfinished basement, with small windows set high in cinder block walls and a dusty concrete floor. It had an abandoned air, featuring only an empty metal shelving unit listing to one side and an old utility sink in one corner with paint stains on the sides.

From the angle of the sunlight, he concluded it was mid-morning. He'd probably been out no more than an hour, but that was long enough for Lisbon to miss him even if she hadn't been able to decipher the noises on her voicemail. She would be looking for him by now and might even have found his car. But the trail probably went cold after that, depending on how careful his kidnappers were.

Jane did some deep breathing exercises, trying to quell the throbbing in his head. He would need to be thinking clearly when his kidnapper decided to show himself, especially if it was Volker. He would conserve his strength and try to recover while he could. He would think about happy things and get his heart rate down.

Fortunately, his memory palace already had rooms perfect for this purpose. Today he decided to revisit Lisbon's smiles, all the variations and circumstances perfectly preserved from the very first one, brief and professionally sympathetic as she told him he couldn't wait at the CBI because it was policy, to the loving one she'd graced him with as she left this morning, the ring on her finger proclaiming her commitment to him.

He had worked his way up to the wide smile she'd given him on his couch after the Rachel Bowman incident when he heard a door creak and footsteps on the squeaky wooden stairs. Male, he thought from the way the wood moved under the weight, but not a hefty one. His nose twitched as expensive cologne reached it, and he repressed a small grin at having guessed right.

"Well," he said without looking up, "haven't you come down in the world."

A short huff of amusement was the only response as the footsteps got closer. Soon Jane was looking at a pair of shiny new shoes and suit pants. "I'm not the one sitting on a concrete floor looking like a hobo who got beaten up over something he found in a dumpster," Volker said. "I have to admit, though, it's a look I enjoy on you."

"I always thought you'd look good in prison orange. I hope to find out," Jane replied. "The FBI knows you're alive."

"No, they don't. They might suspect, but they don't have any proof." Volker smiled. "Of course, the tenacious Agent Lisbon didn't need proof before, did she? I'm so looking forward to seeing her again. I hope she hasn't aged as badly as you."

That confirmed Jane's fear that Lisbon was the real target. "What do you want with Lisbon? If you want to punish the person who put you away, I'm the one you should focus on."

"Yes, I read the case notes. I'm aware you were the one who realized Marvin Pettigrew witnessed the murder and figured out how to find him. But you wouldn't have done that unless Agent Lisbon asked."

Jane gave a painful shrug. "You were distracting her. I needed her focused on Red John. So I took care of you."

"You trying to protect her only tells me I'm right," Volker smiled. "I haven't decided which of you to kill first, but from the looks of you, you might not last long. Oh, well. I'll enjoy my time alone with Teresa, I'm sure." He pulled out a cell phone, showing the cracked glass to Jane. "I hope your phone wasn't too badly damaged. This will be much less fun if I have to use mine. Ah, there she is."

Volker held the phone near his ear and smiled. Jane could hear Lisbon's distant voice but couldn't make out anything beyond his name. "Why Teresa," Volker said, smiling. "How nice to hear your voice. It's been too long. Oh, you're worried about Patrick? He's right here. Say hello, Patrick."

Volker held the phone out, and Jane said quickly, "Don't listen to him, Lisbon, it's a trap."

Volker took the phone back and said, "For a man with his reputation, that was stunningly unhelpful, Teresa. Obviously it's a trap. You may decline to join us, of course. Maybe I'll send you directions to his body if I feel generous. It's too bad you won't get to say good-bye, but I'm sure you'll get over it." He kicked Jane in the ribs, provoking a choked cry of pain.

This time Jane could clearly make out the word "bastard" in Lisbon's angry response. Volker's smile grew as he listened. "Excellent. I'm so looking forward to seeing you again, Teresa. I have someone waiting for you, a mile south of the turnoff to Patrick's trailer park. Come alone and unarmed or he'll be dead before you get here. Drive safely, now." He hung up, looking pleased with himself.

"You might want to tidy yourself up a bit," Volker advised Jane.

"Uncuff me and I'll be happy to," Jane wheezed.

"Aren't you a magician of some kind?" Volker mocked. "Uncuff yourself. And you might want to take this opportunity to make peace with any deity you believe in. Things will be busy once Teresa gets here." He headed for the stairs, calling back over his shoulder, "So nice chatting with you, Patrick. I think I'll go have a nice cup of tea while I wait."

Jane realized how thirsty he was, which was no doubt Volker's intention. Resolutely banishing the thought from his mind, he turned his attention to looking around for anything he might use to pick the handcuffs once he heard the door close behind Volker. He needed a plan, because he wasn't confident that the FBI could come up with one in the limited time Volker had allowed them. And he was afraid Lisbon would be busy blaming herself for not taking him with her this morning like he'd asked. He needed to live long enough to tell her it wasn't her fault. And he had to think of some way to get her out of this alive, no matter what happened to him.

He was so glad he'd proposed last night, though it had been a spur of the moment thing instead of the carefully orchestrated plan he'd envisioned. At least no matter what happened, she would know that he'd loved her and wanted to build a life with her. She'd have the ring to remember him by.

No, he told himself firmly. He wasn't going to give up. He wanted the life he'd planned with Lisbon; it was worth fighting for. And he would. Remembering how emotional she'd been over the ring, he pictured how she would react to holding their child. Seeing him or her off to school for the first time. The three of them playing on the beach. He and Lisbon sitting on the couch together, grey haired, still holding hands after all these years and smiling at each other as they waited for their brilliant progeny to arrive home from college to celebrate Christmas.

Methodically, Jane tested the handcuffs, then laboriously staggered to his feet and checked the metal pole for weaknesses. It was holding up one of the beams in the ceiling, so there was no chance of moving it. Even if he could, he might bring the floor above crashing down on himself; the house was definitely not a modern one.

His head throbbed and stomach churned with the effort of staying on his feet, so he sat down again, frowning. Volker had had plenty of time to concoct his plan in prison, so there wouldn't be an obvious method of subverting it. But then, Jane specialized in the non-obvious. Who else would have used a pigeon to bring down a serial killer? He just needed to find Volker's weakness—besides his arrogance, of course.

Ugh. His head felt like it wanted to explode. Maybe he would take a break and just rest for a minute. Yes.

Just for a minute.

mmm

Jane must have dozed off, because he jerked painfully awake at the sound of the door at the top of the stairs opening. He decided to pretend to be unconscious this time, since he heard multiple footsteps on the stairs.

His resolve disappeared the moment he caught a whiff of cinnamon. A second later, he felt Lisbon's small, cool hands on his face and heard her whisper his name.

"Lisbon," he groaned, opening his eyes. "Where's the SWAT team?"

She managed a smile. "I'm going to get you out of here, don't worry. How's your head?"

Jane glanced at the very large man with the very large gun standing nearby. "I think I need medical attention."

Lisbon bit her lip, worried. "You look like you should be in a hospital."

"Lisbon, get out of here. Don't worry about me," he urged. Surely she could take out the troglodyte if she really put her mind to it.

"Stop being an idiot," she scolded. "This morning you were begging to go with me, and now you don't want to?"

"It's not a question of wanting to," he sighed. He moved his head to press a kiss into her palm, thrilled that the ring still resided on her left hand.

"Just hang in there." She softly kissed his undamaged temple, then drew his head down to rest against her breasts. Jane sighed with pleasure at the soft warmth of her skin, the steady beat of her heart, and her scent. "You want to make Abbott admit you were right, don't you? He was really unhappy when Volker called me and there wasn't any room for doubt anymore."

Jane felt a moment of amusement as he pictured it, but that wasn't what mattered to him, and he wanted to make sure Lisbon knew that. "I don't care about Abbott. I want more time with you."

"We have the rest of our lives," she assured him, which he supposed was true, whether they both died today or lived another forty years.

He really, really hoped she'd come up with a brilliant plan before coming here, but he knew she couldn't tell him while their guard was close enough to overhear. He just hoped he'd be coherent enough to follow her lead when the time came.

The guard grabbed Lisbon's shoulder and yanked her away. She threw him off just long enough to lunge at Jane and crash her lips against his. He barely had time to respond, swallowing the pain long enough to savor the taste of her, before she was pulled away again. Jane gritted his teeth as the troglodyte threw her to the floor and dragged her to the nearest pole, cuffing her hands behind her.

"Mr. Volker will be with you shortly," the guard sneered as he left.

"You okay?" Jane asked, worried.

"Fine," she replied, wriggling around to get comfortable. Or possibly to pull an ace out of her sleeve, as it were.

"Volker likes to watch," he reminded her. He hadn't been able to spot any cameras, but he'd bet a sizable amount of money there was at least one in this basement.

Lisbon stopped moving. "What's he planning?"

"To kill us." Jane refrained from rolling his eyes because he was sure it would hurt.

Lisbon had no such concerns, so she gave him the exasperated eye roll he was so fond of. "Oh really? I was hoping it was a tea party."

"Of course, he wants to make us suffer first."

"Mission accomplished. You're definitely suffering, and finding your car took years off my life," Lisbon said.

"I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that. But I'm sorry I didn't get you on the phone sooner."

"God, Jane, don't apologize," Lisbon burst out. "I should have listened to you all along. I shouldn't have left you alone when you asked me not to."

"Don't feel bad. He was going to get to us one way or another. We had to let our guard down eventually," Jane said. Better if Volker believed they'd all been taken by surprise, though he knew Lisbon had never entirely discounted his belief that Volker was behind it. She had too many years of watching him be proven right to ever dismiss something he was serious about. "But I do wish we'd gotten around to our beach vacation beforehand."

"Me too," she sighed.

They lapsed into silence, not daring to say the things they really wanted to in case Volker was listening. Speaking of their love for each other would only encourage him to use that against them. And though Jane longed to hear Lisbon tell him that she had some kind of tracking device hidden in her shoe, that was definitely not something they wanted Volker to hear.

They had only a few minutes to wait; Volker must have gotten bored when they stopped talking. He came down the stairs with his goon in tow, smirking triumphantly as he focused on Lisbon. "Teresa. Wonderful to see you again. You're looking well; Texas must agree with you. I was so sorry to hear you were forced to leave California."

Lisbon narrowed her eyes at his characterization of her departure for Washington. "Nice escape, Volker. But if you couldn't outwit the CBI, I don't know why you thought you could outwit the FBI."

"Unfortunately, you won't live to see whether I do or not." Volker turned to his companion. "You searched her?"

"Of course, Mr. Volker. Thoroughly." The way the goon leered at Lisbon made Jane's blood simmer with rage.

"No, I don't think you did. Not thoroughly enough," Volker said thoughtfully. "Strip her."

Jane bit his lip to keep from protesting, which wouldn't help matters. Lisbon's glare, divided between Volker and the man approaching her, could have cut diamonds but seemed to have no effect on its intended targets. As the goon ripped at her shirt, Lisbon looked over at Jane and said sharply, "Jane, close your eyes."

He frowned at her; it wasn't like he hadn't seen her naked. Then he realized she was trying to spare him watching another man undress her. It would probably be easier for her without him watching, too. He obediently closed his eyes to appease her, but then peeked out of his good eye after a few seconds. He swallowed hard as the goon pulled out a knife and cut her shirt away, then her bra.

Volker said, "Now, Teresa. Why so cruel? This is his last chance to look at something beautiful before he dies."

"There's nothing beautiful about this," Lisbon growled.

"On the contrary." Volker bent and put his hand on her bare breast. "I find this very beautiful."

Jane opened his eyes and said, "I'm going to kill you with my bare hands, Volker. Just like Red John. I'm going to savor every second of feeling the life leave your body."

Volker smirked at him. "Brave talk for a man who's handcuffed to a pole. When I planned this, I thought about how painful it would be for the two of you to watch the other suffer after all you've been through together. Imagine how happy I was to find out you were lovers. This is going to be excruciating for you."

Lisbon said, "Why punish Jane? Everything he did was on my orders."

"Nice try. But I met plenty of other people in prison who were there because of Patrick Jane. And the one thing they all agreed on was that he never, ever, follows orders. Finish the job, Jonas."

Lisbon struggled as the goon tried to lift her to get her pants off, and Volker walked over to Jane, knelt, and punched him in his sore ribs. Jane couldn't stifle his wheezing grunt, and Lisbon stopped fighting.

"There," Volker said smugly. "You see, Teresa? I can make you do whatever I want. If you don't, I'll hurt your lover."

"You've made your point. I'll cooperate. Leave him alone," Lisbon snarled.

Jane got his breathing under control, thinking that now would be a very good time for the SWAT team to show up. When he could focus again, Jonas had finished stripping Lisbon and was shaking out her clothes and shoes. "Nothing here," he announced. Jane heard the relief in his voice and wondered what Volker would have done if he caught his goon being incompetent.

Lisbon said, "I knew you'd search me. I didn't want to do anything that would prevent you bringing me to Jane."

"Wise," Volker said. "But don't think we didn't notice the car following you."

"That's why you switched cars outside of town," Lisbon said. "Smart. The FBI has no way to find me now."

Volker smiled, and Jane's heart leapt. Lisbon was obviously convincing Volker, but Jane knew her too well for that. Somehow, she believed backup was coming.

"I was careful, Teresa. I wouldn't want us to be interrupted. I've been looking forward to this for too long." He caressed her cheek. Lisbon didn't flinch, though her jaw tightened.

Jane knew he had to help her play for time. "It's all about power with you, isn't it, Volker? It must drive you crazy that you kidnapped Lisbon, stripped her, beat me up, and she still isn't afraid of you. But you should have realized she wouldn't be. Red John was scarier than you'll ever be. Whatever you do to her, you can't make her afraid. At the end of it she'll still be stronger than you are. She survived Red John, the Blake Association, and the dismantling of her entire life. She'll survive you."

"Maybe." Volker's attention was on Jane now. "But you won't. Losing you won't break her? How sad for you. But then I guess you know you don't deserve to be loved that much, after what you did to your family."

Lisbon was flushed with fury. "You don't know anything about love, you worthless piece of shit!"

"I know it's a dangerous weakness," he replied. "You're going to die for love, Teresa. Wouldn't you have been happier if you'd never loved him?"

Lisbon looked at Jane, holding his gaze. "No. I wouldn't trade a single minute of it. Not for anything."

"I wouldn't either," Jane assured her. Then he looked at Volker. "Nothing you do will change that. How does that make you feel? Powerless?"

"Annoyed," Volker replied. "But I'll enjoy trying to prove you wrong. Jonas, break a few of his bones. Start with his legs."

"Yes, sir." Jonas approached Jane with an anticipatory grin.

"Leave him alone!" Lisbon ordered. "You're only making things worse for—"

She was cut off by an alarm sounding upstairs. Volker scowled and said, "Take care of that!"

As Jonas hurried up the stairs, Volker rounded on Lisbon. "How?"

Lisbon tried for an innocent look, but it was tinged with triumph. "How what?"

Volker knelt and put his hand around her neck, making Jane's heart rate jump. "How did they find us?"

Jane was desperate to get Volker's hand off Lisbon's delicate neck. "It's the FBI. They have resources we could only dream of back in California. They probably hijacked a satellite or something." He'd buy Wiley lunch if he was behind this rescue. Hell, he'd buy him a car. "No way you're getting out of this, Volker. You should have stayed in prison."

Volker got to his feet, leaving Lisbon to cough as she desperately sucked in air. Then he reached behind him and drew out a gun, pointing it at Jane.

Jane swallowed hard and said, "Don't look, Lisbon."

"No!" Lisbon's scream came out of her abused throat as a ragged whisper. Jane closed his eyes and hoped she would remember only the good times. And that Volker was a good shot. He didn't want to be a vegetable.

When the gunshot came, he flinched—but felt no pain. Well, no additional pain. Cautiously, he opened his good eye and saw Volker on the floor, eyes staring at the ceiling and a red blossom spreading on his chest. Then he looked over to Lisbon, who had tears streaming down her face. He tried to smile for her until someone blocked his view of her.

"Thanks, Cho," Lisbon rasped out as he draped his suit jacket over her and unlocked her handcuffs. "Help Jane."

Cho turned to Jane, quickly unlocking him. "You look like hell."

"Good to see you too," Jane replied as Fischer and Abbott came into view.

Abbott called, "Get those medics in here now!"

"I'm okay," Jane said.

"Don't listen to him," Lisbon advised. Jane was glad to see she'd gotten her shirt and underwear back on and was pulling her pants up. He was even more glad when she came over and carefully slid her arms around him, allowing him to rest his weight against her. "You're going to be okay," she whispered, gently rubbing his back.

"Yeah," he murmured, kissing the little patch of skin he could reach.

Cho said, "Sorry it took us so long."

Fischer added, "They had some kind of jamming set up. We had to go by satellite until we were almost on top of this place and could pick up your signal."

Jane nuzzled Lisbon and murmured, "Where did you hide a tracking device?"

She chuckled. It was Cho who said, "Under her ring. Nice pick, by the way."

"Thanks," Jane said, closing his eyes as he heard someone bouncing a gurney down the stairs. "For everything."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for all your reviews, follows, and favorites! It's been a tough week for the fandom so it was hard to get myself in the proper frame of mind for this final chapter. But finally my muse came out of her funk, so here we are. Thanks for coming on this journey—the M-zone is still new territory for me, so your support was much needed and greatly appreciated!

**Chapter 14**

Jane was forced to stay overnight in the hospital, with Lisbon curled up in the chair beside his bed. But she persuaded the doctor to discharge him the following day and took him home with her. Getting up the stairs was painful, but snuggling into Lisbon's bed was worth it. He was afraid it would be a while before he would be up to any strenuous activity, but being surrounded by her scent was inexpressibly comforting. He felt sure he would heal faster in Lisbon's loving care than in any medical facility.

She curled up with him at night, careful not to lie too close in case she accidentally touched his taped ribs or his tender head, but close enough that they could reach for each other when nightmares struck. Several times he woke with his hand clutched tightly in Lisbon's or woke himself up gasping and shuddering, only to be calmed by her lips on his forehead, cheek, or lips. He hoped she was seeing the benefit of sleeping together even when sex wasn't a possibility.

Lisbon stayed home with him during the day, too, until he could get up and down the stairs on his own. He missed her tremendously once she went back to work. Cooking, light housework, and a steady stream of books from Cho occupied the long hours until she was home again to tell him about her day and treat him to her sweet kisses.

As he slowly healed, Jane became restless and started going for short walks after he could safely do so. On his way back to the house, he always picked up Lisbon's mail, intent on being useful to her. About two weeks into his recovery, he found a padded envelope in her mailbox and passed part of the afternoon trying to figure out its contents. He knew better than to start opening her mail—that would probably remain a no-no even after they were married.

When Lisbon got home that night, he greeted her with a kiss and the news that dinner would be on the table in five minutes. She followed him into the kitchen, sniffing appreciatively and sorting through the mail. She paused when she got to the envelope, glancing at him thoughtfully.

"What?" he asked.

"It's nothing." She paused. "This is just my automatic prescription refill. For the pill."

"Ah." He'd already figured that out, having always known she was on it. His prudent Lisbon wouldn't risk an accidental pregnancy and single parenthood, which would be practically impossible with her job.

"And I...was thinking maybe I would...stop." She bit her lip and watched him closely.

Jane grinned at her, delighted. "I would love nothing better than to make a baby with you, my dear. Whenever you like."

"Whenever you're healed," she corrected him. "You're really okay with this?"

"I am if you are. I confess I thought you'd rather wait until we're married." He peeked into the crockpot and decided the chili was finished. "Could you get some bowls down?"

Lisbon obligingly reached into the cupboard for two big bowls. "Well, I, um, I've been talking to the priest at Saint Anthony's. And it seems like there's a long process we'd have to go through to get married in church. So I thought we could just elope. But not to Vegas." She moved to start ladling the chili into the bowls, so Jane stepped back to let her, reaching into the refrigerator for the shredded cheese and sour cream.

He waited until they were seated at the table to say, "Teresa. If getting married in church is important to you, then it's important to me. I want you to have whatever you want. We can go through this process; there's no rush. It will probably take us a few months to conceive, anyway."

"If I can at all. And...there are risks at my age. But I want to try." She looked at him nervously.

"Then we'll try." He reached for her hand, twining his fingers with hers and smiling gently. "There's no reason we can't multitask."

"Good. Because I'm done wasting time. I...I was so angry at myself when I thought Volker was going to shoot you. Because I wasted so much time confused about Marcus, and I realized I really didn't want to die without that life you promised me. I want you to move in here and marry me and do your best to knock me up, all as soon as possible."

He chuckled. That was Lisbon—once she was in, she was all in. "I think we've pretty much accomplished the first part. I will marry you at any time and place of your choosing, and I am very much looking forward to devoting considerable time and energy to impregnating you."

They beamed at each other, and Lisbon picked up their clasped hands and brushed her lips against his knuckles. "Do you want a Claddagh ring too?" she asked.

"I would love one," he replied. He intended everything about his second marriage to be new, so a different kind of wedding ring would be a good place to start. "Eat up, love. I think my ribs have healed enough to make love if you're willing to do most of the work."

She grinned. "I work all day and come home exhausted and you still expect me to do all the work in bed? Sheesh."

"Only until I can use my abdominal muscles without wanting to cry," he assured her. "And maybe you wouldn't be so exhausted if you'd let me come back to work."

"We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow. About both." She was firm, and he knew he wouldn't change her mind about following his doctor's instructions to the letter. Despite considerable wheedling on his part, she was resolute in her determination to protect his recovery from setbacks.

So he'd just have to make sure the doctor agreed with him.

mmm

Jane grinned as he accompanied Lisbon through the FBI lobby, the doctor's note clearing him for light desk duty folded carefully into his pocket. Lisbon looked less happy, having voiced her objections to the doctor and been overruled.

She insisted they not get on the first elevator because it was crowded and she didn't want him jostled, so they waited for the second one to arrive. It was empty, and they had it to themselves until a hand inserted itself into the nearly closed doors. Lisbon stepped in front of Jane as the doors sprang open again to reveal Marcus.

"Marcus!" Lisbon said as they stared at each other, surprised.

"Hey, Teresa," Marcus smiled. "How are you? Jane, good to see you. I heard you got a little banged up."

Jane squelched his impulse to be sarcastic, not wanting to seem ungracious in front of Lisbon. "Yeah, both banged up and beat up. How have you been?"

"A little heartsick. I was seeing this really beautiful, amazing woman and she dumped me," Marcus replied.

"My condolences," Jane replied, noting Lisbon's discomfort. "How's the art world?"

"Can't complain. Keeps me busy," Marcus replied. "So, Teresa, quite the coup getting Volker, huh? Promotion can't be far behind!"

Lisbon managed a smile. "I'd rather he stayed in prison in the first place."

"Looks like California has more housecleaning to do," Marcus said.

Jane frowned, wondering why the man was being such an ass. But his next remark brought enlightenment.

"So," Marcus said, "the rumor is you two got engaged."

Lisbon's voice was calm as she replied, "Yes, we did."

"Congratulations." Marcus sounded anything but pleased.

"Thank you!" Jane said, with an obnoxiously cheerful smile. "We're very happy."

Marcus ignored him, focusing on Lisbon. "I hope you will be. I just wish you'd told me the truth in the beginning, Teresa. So I wouldn't have fallen for you."

Lisbon shifted her weight, a sure sign of discomfort. "I never lied to you, Marcus. I just...things changed. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Well, you did."

Jane resisted his instinct to draw Marcus' attention away and give Lisbon a moment to regroup. This was, in a way, not his business. This was Lisbon and Marcus facing the end of what had been their promising relationship, and he needed to let them do it and get whatever closure they could. She wouldn't thank him for putting his nose in. He was fortunate just to witness this ending, so he could get closure for the pain and doubt this relationship had cost him before Lisbon had made her choice.

Lisbon said softly, "I'll always be sorry for that."

"Yeah, well." It was Marcus' turn to shift awkwardly. "Me too, Teresa."

"I hope you find someone," Lisbon said. "Someone better."

Marcus shook his head. "I don't think there's anyone better than you. But maybe I can find the next best thing." He sighed as the elevator doors opened, and he stepped forward, holding the doors open as he paused to look over his shoulder. "I hope you'll be happy, Teresa. And I hope you know what a lucky bastard you are, Jane."

"I do," Jane assured him.

Marcus stepped off the elevator and turned to watch the doors close, looking at Lisbon like he was memorizing her face. Jane didn't need to see her expression to know she was hurting, so he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder once the doors had closed.

Lisbon turned suddenly and tucked her face against his neck, breathing in his scent as he slid his arm around her shoulders for a quick cuddle. They only had two floors before Lisbon stepped back, composing herself as the doors opened. Then they went out to the bullpen, where Cho and Wiley got up to greet them.

"You're looking better," Cho said to Jane.

"I feel a lot better," Jane said, heading for his couch.

Lisbon hurried over to help him ease himself down onto it, and when he was safely seated, asked, "Tea?"

"You are a jewel beyond compare, my dear. Thank you," he replied, smiling at her. She smiled back before heading to the break room.

Fischer came out of her office, looking surprised. "Jane. Welcome back. Are you here by permission, or did you escape from someplace?"

Cho smirked for a split second, unseen by everyone but Jane. Apparently Fischer was finally beginning to catch on, although if she had truly figured him out she'd know that Jane wouldn't choose this as his hiding place when he had access to Lisbon's bed.

"I have a permission slip." Jane withdrew it from his pocket and handed it to her with a flourish. "Cleared for duty."

"Light desk duty," Fischer read. "With the word 'light' underlined. Twice."

"I can look over the files and help with the interviews," Jane said. "You just need to bring them to me instead of me going to them."

"Bored, huh?" Cho said.

"My mind is a powerful and complex machine. We wouldn't want it to get rusty from disuse. Ah, Lisbon, my ministering angel." He reached for the tea cup she handed him, letting his affection show in his face and voice.

Cho asked her, "Did he hypnotize the doctor?"

"No," Lisbon answered. "But he did his best to charm her socks off. I think from now on he needs to have male doctors. He's not to leave this building except to go home and rest."

"Agreed," Fischer said. "Fortunately, we've just about wrapped up the Joyner case. We just need to find something in his brother's financials to prove he hired the hit man."

Wiley took the hint and hurried off.

"Meh. Let me see what you've got," Jane said. No matter how often people told him the culprit was usually the obvious suspect, it was always worth looking at the less obvious ones.

Lisbon rolled her eyes, exchanging a glance with Cho. Jane grinned unrepentantly at them as Fischer handed him a file, then flipped it open with one hand and took a sip of tea with the other. He enjoyed this feeling of settling back into his work routine, and though Lisbon wouldn't admit it, she did too. Work would be their stable ground while they figured out how things worked in their new blended home life.

Catching bad guys by day and making babies by night: They could learn to live like that. Quite possibly happily ever after.

mmm

It was another two weeks before Dr. Nichols cleared Jane for moderate physical activity. By then, he was going quietly crazy; the knowledge that Lisbon was off the pill and fertile was sexy as hell. Their forays into mutual self-gratification and pleasuring each other with their fingers and mouths were certainly enjoyable, but he longed to plunge inside her and do his best to give her the baby she'd asked for.

Unfortunately, not an hour after Jane returned to the office with the doctor's note, Abbott sent him off with Fischer to Los Alamos, New Mexico, for a murder case that was much more convoluted than Jane liked just at this moment. Lisbon and Cho joined them a day later after Jane dramatically widened the suspect pool, but the exhausting nature of the case and Lisbon's desire to prove she could still act professionally despite their engagement meant separate rooms for them.

So by the time they got home, he was half out of his mind with lust. He dropped his suitcase at the door and kicked it closed, reaching for Lisbon and pressing her up against the wall. She melted into him, her kiss ravenous, until she pulled back to gasp, "Upstairs."

"No," he panted, putting his hands on her ass and lifting her so their hips aligned. He grunted a little as his healing ribs protested, and Lisbon gave him a gentle shove.

"You're not nearly healed enough for that," she said, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright. "Bed."

"Fine." He wasn't going to waste time arguing.

"Lock the door," she ordered, kicking her shoes off.

For once, Jane didn't argue, toeing his own shoes off as he threw the deadbolt. But he did pause for another knee-weakening kiss before letting her tow him toward the stairs. The part of his higher brain that was still functioning appreciated how cleverly she teased him up each step with brief little kisses, stepping up and away before he could deepen them. The rest of him wanted to carry her up the remaining the steps and take her on the floor of the hallway, hard and deep. But she was quick to twist out of his hold every time he tried to get a firm grip, grinning at him as she reached the top step and straightened to unbutton her blouse.

"Tease," he huffed.

"Oh, you're one to talk," she chuckled. "Giving me those puppy dog eyes every night and whining because I wouldn't let you into my room, even though you knew Fischer was right next door and those walls were definitely not soundproof."

"So? We're engaged; everybody knows we're having sex," he pointed out, shrugging out of his jacket.

"Knowing is one thing. Hearing is entirely another," she replied, letting her blouse fall to the floor and grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, pulling him toward the bedroom.

"Are you saying I'm loud?" He teased, letting her deal with his shirt while he unfastened his pants.

"I'm usually screaming too much to judge," she grinned as they reached the bedroom. "You're sure you're up for this?"

"If we stop now you'll have to take me back to the hospital," he groaned.

"Well, we can't have that," Lisbon said with mock sympathy. "Especially since we have a day off tomorrow. I was thinking we could go down to the courthouse and get married."

"Just like that?" So much for a romantic ceremony, but he'd marry her whenever and however she wanted.

"I guess we have to get a ring first. And I thought we'd invite Cho."

"Of course," Jane said. "Whatever you want." He pushed his slacks and boxers down and stepped out of them, his erection bobbing eagerly with his movements.

Lisbon bit her lip, a sure sign of uncertainty. "I know you probably want something more elaborate."

It wasn't quite a question, but he answered anyway. "Not elaborate. A romantic setting would be nice, but as long as we get married, the rest of it isn't important."

"Good answer," she smiled, giving him a kiss. This time she deepened it, sliding her hot little tongue against his and further inflaming him.

He moaned when she pulled away, shedding the rest of her clothes with quick, graceful movements and sitting down on the bed, scooting back and spreading her legs. The glimpse of glistening pink amid her dark curls made him groan, his hand going to his cock reflexively.

"Get in here," Lisbon said, her pupils huge as she licked her lips.

That was one order he intended never to disobey. He felt his smile go feral as he climbed onto the bed on his knees, carefully bending forward to rest his hands on either side of her as she wriggled back a little more, trying to make things easy for him.

"You okay?" she asked, frowning in concern.

"Oh yeah," he breathed, lowering himself to his elbows and taking in her scent as she spread her legs wider to receive him. "Ready?"

"I'm way past ready," she assured him. "Verging on frustrated—ah!"

He echoed her cry with his own as he slid into her hot, wet depths, feeling her softness stretch around him. Once he was all the way in, he paused, panting lightly as she tilted her hips to let him slide a fraction of an inch deeper. He loved being joined with her this way, welcomed into her body with the same generosity she had shown in accepting him in her life and heart. And tonight, part of him might take up long-term residence inside her, becoming half of a wondrous new life.

Lisbon, not a fan of drifting into deep thought during sex, moaned and squirmed restlessly beneath him. "You're not falling asleep, are you?"

"No," he assured her. "Just savoring the moment. You feel amazing."

"So do you," she breathed. "Oh, I missed this. Now get moving."

He chuckled into her ear and pulled back with agonizing slowness until only the tip of his cock was still inside her, grimacing as her muscles clenched around him in protest. Then he plunged back in, grunting as she met his thrust and her hands flew to grip his butt.

"Control freak," he gasped, grinning madly.

"But you love me anyway," she said, smiling up at him.

"Oh, yeah." He let her guide him into the rhythm she wanted. "I'm going to spoil you rotten."

"Yeah?"

"Like you won't believe," he assured her. "And—oh yeah—when you're worn out from waddling around all day, I'll massage your sore feet. I'll go out at two a.m. and buy you strawberries and chocolate ice cream and pickles. And whatever other cliche you can think of."

"And you'll let me break your hand during labor?" she teased.

"If you insist, but that'll make it hard for me to—ah!—hold him when he's born." Jane paused as his ribs began to ache. "I need to change positions, love."

Lisbon made a protesting noise as he pulled out of her and straightened, his rigid cock dripping. She quickly figured out what he needed and got on her hands and knees, gripping the headboard to brace herself. Jane gripped her hips and guided himself back inside her, sighing out her first name as he pushed even deeper than before.

"Oh, yeah," she moaned. "Harder."

He slammed into her, grunting a little with the effort. "Love you."

"You too. Oh, God, yes!" Lisbon threw her head back, her hair falling across the pale skin of her spine and sliding to her shoulders. She began pushing back against him frantically, and he felt a wave of relief that she was close, because he could feel his own orgasm building.

"Teresa, my love," he crooned. "Come for me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she wailed. "God, Jane, oh—oh!" She came hard, wringing a cry out of him as her orgasm triggered his, his mind short-circuiting in ecstasy.

He managed to roll them to their sides as their shaky limbs gave out, still embedded in her as they tried to catch their breaths. Jane silently urged his little swimmers on, hoping they'd reach their goal and splaying his hand on her lower abdomen as if he could feel the moment the miracle happened.

"You okay?" Lisbon asked after a moment.

"Mm. Better than okay." He was feeling no pain, his system still flush with endorphins. Pressing a kiss into her hair, he asked, "We getting married tomorrow?"

"Yeah." She yawned, threading her fingers through his. "Don't worry. I'll make an honest man out of you."

He snorted in amusement. "Ambitious Lisbon. Next you'll be gunning for Abbott's job."

"No. I'm done being your boss," she murmured.

"Maybe at work," he said. "But you'll always be the one I listen to, Teresa. Forever."

"Good," she sighed as she drifted off.

mmm

Fifteen hours and twelve minutes later, they exchanged vows and rings in a courthouse with Cho as their witness. It was simple and straightforward, just like Lisbon wanted, and Jane was over the moon to have come so far so fast. With her ring on his finger, there was no need to ever be jealous of any man who might come sniffing around. His wife's honest nature and kind heart were all the guarantee of fidelity he could want. He thought he would never be happier than this day.

Ten months, two days, and three hours after that, they announced to their friends and Lisbon's family that they were expecting a baby, and Lisbon was taken off field duty. With her difficult first trimester now behind them, they settled in to their preparations for the expansion of their family. The day they finished the nursery and Lisbon settled into the rocking chair, looking around her with a contented smile as she stroked her rounded belly, Jane thought he was as happy as it was possible for him to be.

Eleven days, thirteen hours, and thirty-seven minutes later, Jane held his squalling son in his arms, blinking down at the newborn through his own tears. After a minute, he reluctantly relinquished the baby to his mother's eager arms, smiling at her tears of joy.

As Jane looked at his family, precious and hard won, he was sure that this was the moment of maximum happiness in his life. He felt suffused with it, overwhelmed by the love and protectiveness crashing through him. There would be many moments of joy in their future, but never another like this.

But one thing he was sure of: there was absolutely no one on the planet he would change places with. He was the luckiest man alive.

And he would never be jealous again.

THE END


End file.
